2022 was a good year for the Camera Club of Hendersonville. We’ve returned to in-person meetings, and expanded options for members by offering electronic attendance via Zoom.  We’ve also updated our website, improved our monthly member critiques, and returned to offering Field Trips and Workshops, giving our members more opportunities to enjoy and improve their photography. Our membership is growing, and we look forward to an active and exciting 2023 with even more trips, workshops, and events!

It is time to renew your CCoH membership for 2023. Renewals are due by February 1, 2023. By promptly renewing your membership, you not only ensure your access to members' benefits, but you also help provide the funds we need for club activities such as guest speakers, critiques, workshops, and field trips. For 2023 dues will stay at the same level of $40 for returning members.

There are three options for paying dues, check, cash, and PayPal. Here's how to renew:

• To pay by check or cash, bring your payment to the January club meeting at the Chamber of Commerce. Checks can also be sent to the club treasurer at Nancy Pierson, 26 Memminger Dr., Flat Rock, NC 28731.

• To pay by PayPal, go to the club website at www.cameraclubofhendersonville.com.  Select “Member Resources”, then select “Renew Membership” from the dropdown list. Scroll down to the yellow PayPal bar. BEFORE CLICKING THE PayPal BAR, be sure to select “Returning CCoH Member Renewal” in the white rectangular box directly above the PayPal bar. This will ensure that you are charged the renewal rate of $40 rather than the new member rate. 

If you have any questions, contact Nancy Pierson, the club treasurer, at ccoh.treasurer@gmail.com. 

Here’s to another year of great photography!

Nancy Pierson, Club Treasurer

When: January 12th at 2pm
Where: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville located at 2021 Kanuga Road
 

“Abstract photography” is a catch-all label that is applied to everything from blobs of color to blurred objects to graphics. However, virtually all of them miss the intent and meaning of abstract art, which is "the expression of thoughts and ideas, which have no physical or concrete existence".

So, how do you photograph something that doesn’t physically exist, something that you can’t see? The answers apply not only to abstract photography but to all photography; whenever you want to capture that elusive "essence" of your subjects.

This presentation will be less about Werner’s work in this genre and more about the history and significance of abstract art and how this has been applied to photography.

The workshop will begin at 2 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2023, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville located at 2021 Kanuga Road, three miles southwest of downtown Hendersonville.  Use the lower level entrance on the south side of the building to access the workshop location.

Please RSVP to ccoh.programdirector@gmail.com to help us with setup logistics.

Please contact JD Hannis at ccoh.programdirector@gmail.com if you have any questions about this workshop.

A fun time was had by all who attended December's Christmas party held at Bay Breeze Seafood. The number of positive comments led the board to believe it was a good venue choice. For those who missed it, here are a couple of photos from the evening, taken by Bob Coffey.

Because of the holidays, there no photo review in December. We are kicking off the new year with January's Photo Review. 

Here are the instructions for submitting your images:  

Submit up to three image pairs by Saturday, January 7th, 11:59 PM.  There is no assigned image theme for these monthly reviews, so you are free to submit any appropriate image.

Submit image pairs.  The image pairs are the original images as recorded by the camera and the processed/edited images.   Both the camera-recorded images and the processed images should be processed as follows.

Size your images to a maximum of 1400 x 1050 pixels resolution.  The image width should not be greater than 1400 pixels and the height should not be greater than 1050 pixels.

Format the images as a jpeg.

Name your photo as:

Rank_ Your Name_Title of photo_O_Rank.jpg    (e.g. 1a_John Smith_Hooker Falls_O.jpg)

The rank refers to the order you wish the images to be shown in the album for review.  Use “a” and “b” for the original and edited versions, respectively.

The O refers to “open,” meaning there is no assigned theme.

For each image, provide the requested information on the template attached to this e-mail.  This will aid the reviewers in their review.   Submit the template (click here to download the template) as a Microsoft Word document with your images.

Send your images and the completed templates as attachments to your e-mail to:   ccoh.images@gmail.com

The e-mail:  Subject should show January Photo Reviews.

If you have any questions, please submit them to Ward Seguin at wrsmd1@yahoo.com.

In case you missed it, Ken Weaver's article on the Smokey Mountain Railroad was featured in the October issue of the Photographic Society of America's Journal. 

For those who are unfamiliar with the PSA, it is an international organization with the following mission statement:

• To promote the art and science of photography as a means of communication, image appreciation, and cultural exchange.
• Provide education, information, inspiration, and opportunity to all persons interested in photography.
• Foster personal growth and expression, creativity, excellence, and ethical conduct in all aspects of photographic endeavor.

PSA has about 5500 members worldwide and sanctions over 600 photographic competitions yearly.

To read the article, click the LINK here.

January Monthly Meeting: January 24th
Featured program: Photo Critique
Assignment: "Textures"

tex·ture -  the feel, appearance, or consistency of a surface or substance.
 

• “In photography, texture is the visual depiction of variations in the color, shape, and depth of an object's surface.” 
• “Texture in photography is a visual design element used to bring a photo to life, to make it feel more three dimensional and interesting.” 
• “When talking about photos, texture refers to how you’d want a picture to feel if a user could reach out and touch the object.”

Our featured program at the January 24, 2023 meeting will be a critique of member images based on the theme of ‘textures’.  You can submit up to TWO (2) images with no restriction on when the image was taken.   We do ask you not to submit images that have been shown in previous sessions.  Your  ‘textures’ images must be submitted to CCoH.Images@gmail.com by midnight Saturday January 21 to allow review time for our guest critiquers Janet and Les Saucier.

About Janet and Les  - Janet became a professional photographer and author in 2012 with the publishing of her book “Goin Down the River, Fish Camps of the Sea Islands.” Her photographs have also been published in the books “South” and “Charleston Salt & Iron,” by Wendy Nilsen Pollitzer and “The Beauty of Beaufort” by Ryan Copeland.

Les has taught photo workshops across the country in places such as the Adirondack Mountains, the Oregon Coast, Zion National Park, and of course, here in the Great Smoky and Blue Ridge mountains.
Janet and Les, who both served as guest judges for our 2022 Print Competition, reside in Brevard, making the Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway a natural backdrop for Saucier Photography’s work.
 
See saucierphoto.com to learn more about Janet and Les and their story.

To view a PDF of the year's lineup of GYBS months and 2023 General Meeting programs, CLICK HERE