Events | PC Camera Club

03/10/2025 - Update on AI in Photography

Join us for an update on Artificial Intelligence (AI) by club Secretary John Mirro.

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Jan 13 and Feb. 10, 2025 - Portrait and Landscape photography, Colin Murray

Assuming enough interest, an overnight outing in early January to photograph sandhill cranes in Willcox. In addition, there should be time to visit a Tuscon attraction.

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10/14/2024 - Depth of Field

Join us for an “in depth” presentation on Depth of Field by club Secretary John Mirro. John will explain how the properties of a lens can be utilized by the photographer to control the overall sharpness of a photo or how it can be used creatively so that a subject can be in sharp focus and background in soft focus. The principles apply to cellphone cameras as well as more sophisticated cameras.

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09/09/2024 - Still Life Photography

Bring your camera and a small object and join us for an informative hands-on presentation on Still Life Photography featuring use of a Light Box by club Secretary John Mirro. John has a life-long association with photography, spanning simple landscape to stock video and more recently Artificial Intelligence.

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03/11/2024 - Photo Books - Gary Glascock

Join us for an informative presentation on creating Photo Books by club member Gary Glascock. Gary has a long association with photography, starting to take photos in earnest with a film camera in 1990. Later he went with a friend to the Grand Tetons in Wyoming on a photo safari and has been a photography enthusiast ever since, but now utilizing digital technology. Gary started making photo books around 1995 and has made 18 books since then. He discovered that displaying pictures in an orderly fashion in books was the preferred way to go (we probably have memories of some friend or relative fumbling around trying to set up a slide projector). If you travel and take lots of pictures, join us for Gary’s presentation and pick up a few tips and techniques which help better document your next trip.

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01/08/2024 - Arizona Landscape Photography - Dave Wilson

Join us for an interesting presentation on Arizona Landscape by photographer Dave Wilson; Dave worked for 18 years in Corporate Communications doing, among other things, writing and photography to promote businesses ranging from Yamaha Marie and Shimano Fishing Tackle to local antique stores and auto dealers. He recently returned to school to add an Associate Degree in graphic design to his existing Bachelor’s in journalism. Since 2005 Dave has also been passionate about nature and landscape photography; his photographs of wild places in Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and beyond combine three basic elements. 1) Originality; 2) Simplicity; and 3) Transcendence. His work has been exhibited at the Herberger in downtown Phoenix, the University Club of Phoenix, the Arizona State Capitol building, Gammage Auditorium at ASU, and many other places. Dave’s photographs have also been published in magazines, calendars and on the cover of YellowBook. As an outdoor enthusiast, Dave is also the author of Ruins Seldom Seen, a guidebook combining the subjects of hiking and archaeology.

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11/13/2023 - Organizing Your Photos - Panel Discussion

With modern cameras, it is very easy to take hundreds of pictures. That is the easy part; the more difficult part is organizing and managing the image files to create order out of what could be chaos. If you were to ask several people what technique they use for organizing and backing up photo files, you would likely get several different approaches. Join us for November’s meeting which will feature a panel discussion of different organizational approaches used by club officers and other club members; this will provide a great opportunity to learn and ask questions.

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10/09/2023 - Larry Cowles - Pet Photography

If you would like to take more impressive pictures of your pet, join us for October’s meeting which will feature a presentation on Pet Photography by noted photographer Larry Cowles. He will discuss how to prepare your pet, how to get the animal to look at the camera and will provide many tips to help you get great images. While Larry prefers some type of studio lighting, he will also discuss techniques for using natural light. Larry was an electrical engineer in his career but photography has always been a major passion and he has done most types of photography at one time or another. His major interest is portraits, including pet photography, macro, flowers, travel, still life and more. He is past president of several camera clubs and photo organizations and is currently the Managing Editor of the Photographic Society of America (PSA) Journal. Larry makes presentations, teaches photography and over the years has written many articles on photography.

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09/11/2023 - Larry Matney - Photographing and Viewing Eclipses

September’s meeting will feature a presentation by club member Larry Matney on how to safely view and photograph an eclipse, particularly a solar eclipse. This will be timely since a total solar eclipse will be visible on October 14, 2023; the path of totality will cut through several western states but is east of the Phoenix area which will see only an 80% eclipsed sun. After retiring from a long career in IT, Larry and wife moved to PC in 2017 where he became a charter member of the Camera Club. He has impressive credentials, having been a photographer for most of his life, using film for many years but shifting to digital cameras when they became popular; in addition to being a conventional photographer, Larry is also an accomplished astrophotographer. Note that viewing the sun without appropriate protection can cause permanent eye damage and can also destroy imaging equipment, so attend the meeting as Larry describes techniques to safely view and photograph eclipses.

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May - AI in Photography (John Mirro)

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04/17/2023 - Larry Matney - Digitizing Slides and Photos

The April meeting will feature a presentation by Larry Matney describing ways of Digitizing Slides and Photos which enables you to preserve heritage memories which may be gathering dust or fading in old albums. Many photographers have their older pictures on film, prints and slides which do not hold up well over time. With modern technology, these can be digitized so images are stored on electronic media, easily shared and edited using normal image processing software. There are commercial and DIY options and this presentation will look at these in detail. Even if you don’t have older photos, this presentation can be helpful if you inherit film or photos from family members. Larry has impressive credentials, having been a photographer for most of his life, using film for many years but shifting to digital cameras when they became popular. After retiring from a long career in IT, Larry and wife moved to PC in 2017 where he became a charter member of the Camera Club.

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03/20/2023 - Roger Bunting - Focus Stacking

The March meeting will feature a presentation by Roger Bunting describing Focus Stacking, a technique which enables photographers to produce pictures with a deep depth of field so that the entire image is in sharp focus. This is accomplished by blending (or stacking) multiple images taken at different focus distances to give a resulting image with a greater depth of field than any of the individual images; the process is handled by sophisticated software, but available even on a smartphone. Focus stacking is heavily used in macro photography but also applies to areas such as landscape. Roger is club treasurer and has an impressive technical background, including many years of experience with photography.

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02/20/2023 - Tom Klare - High Dynamic Range (HDR)

February’s meeting will feature a presentation by Tom Klare encompassing HDR (High Dynamic Range) and techniques for impressive Panoramic photos. Tom is an award-winning photographer and art professor emeritus. He will explain how and when to use both HDR and Panoramic photography methods, as well as demonstrate post-production processes for those techniques. Tom’s photography work has been selected to ride aboard a SpaceX Dragon Capsule and has been used by National Geographic and The Nature Conservancy, plus many others. His images have won numerous international awards through Prix de la Photographie Paris, IPA, ND and Budapest International Foto Awards. Before coming to Arizona to teach, Tom engaged in commercial and editorial photography in Southern California for 20 years; he currently teaches photography workshops for Arizona Highways Photoscapes and will conduct an HDR workshop at the Casa Grande Neon Park on 2/25-2/26. His photography work can be seen at www.tomklare.net and Instagram: @klaretr.

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01/16/2023 - Randy Vlcek - Snapseed

The best camera is the one you have with you and, for many of us, that is a cellphone. Want to learn to take better pictures with your phone? Join us at the January meeting and follow along as Randy Vlcek demonstrates how to enhance your cellphone pictures with Snapseed, a popular photo app. Randy will take us on a tour of this handy little app which provides the photographer with a wide range of tools to correct and improve cellphone images. In addition to customary post-processing capabilities, the app also includes many filters that enable you to “get creative and artsy” and have fun with your images. Randy, currently a PC resident and club Treasurer, is well qualified since he has been involved with cameras and photography for over 60 years and his photo prints have won various honors in Chicago Area Camera Clubs competitions.

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11/09/2022 - Karen Robbins - Macro Photography with Rain-X

1:00 p.m. at private home in PC (contact Adriana Greisman)

Rain-X is a glass cleaner that repels water. Photographers use it to create images of water droplets that contain a refracted image of whatever small item you choose to photograph. This can be flowers or any small object such as toy cars, teddy bears, flags, etc. Photos are taken with a macro lens or any lens that allows you to shoot close up - including cell phones. Details on equipment needed will be provided to members. Registration is required and the event is limited to members only. Membership applications can be found under Forms/Documents.

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10/17/2022 - Adriana Greisman - Cell Phone Photography

Photographers believe that the best camera is the one you have with you and, for many of us, that is a cellphone. Want to learn to take better pictures with your phone? Learn the ins-and-outs of cellphone photography as Adriana Greisman, club president and award-winning photographer, conducts an informative session where she shares valuable tips and techniques to help you use your phone camera more effectively.

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09/19/2022 - John Mirro - Videography

John, club Secretary, has been interested in photography since the 60's. He migrated from film to digital in the early 2000's and continues to improve his shooting and post-processing skills. Today, he and wife Linda enjoy shooting wildlife and landscapes. They also shoot stock photos and videos for Getty Images. They have been active in portrait and event photography to round out their experience. In this presentation, John will focus on Video and associated techniques, equipment and props.

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June 22, July 20, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m...Adobe Lightroom Workshops

Lightroom (LR) is an Adobe application that allows you to organize, store, edit, rate, and share your photos. Unlike Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom is nondestructive, i.e., your original photo is always available as are all of your edited versions. While most postprocessing software (such as Photoshop) allows you to edit your original photos, LR organizes and stores your photos thus making it easy to retrieve them without hours of searching. The June session will deal with Organizing Photos, including Importing, Keywording and Presets, and the July session will cover Editing, Exporting and Backing Up your photos. You are welcome to register for either or both sessions but the July session will NOT repeat the information from the June session; however, you do need to have Adobe Lightroom Classic installed on your computer. The sessions will be conducted by club president, Adriana Greisman. Camera Club membership is required in order to attend; to receive a workshop Zoom invite, e-mail Adriana Greisman at illinoisexport@comcast.net.

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05/15/2022 - Lunar Eclipse Photography Outing

For members and guests only...the camera club will offer an outing to photograph this special event, with assistance provided by Larry Matney and other club members experienced in astrophography.

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05/16/2022 - John Mirro - Obtaining Sharp Focus

The presentation, "Obtaining Sharp Focus", will delve into all aspects of obtaining images that are "Tack Sharp". Fuzzy images are caused by subject movement, camera movement, missed focus, and other factors. Some of these are under our control and others have to be managed to the best of our ability. Over the years, John and Linda have shot their share of fuzzy images and when they do, they seek to understand "WHY". In this presentation, John will share what they have learned. John has been interested in photography from way back in the 60's. He migrated from film to digital in the early 2000's and continues to improve his shooting and post-processing skills. Today, he and his wife Linda, enjoy shooting wildlife and landscapes. They also shoot stock photos and videos for Getty Images. They have been active in portrait and event photography to round out their experience.

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04-21-2022 Spring Potluck - Oasis Ramada, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

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04/18/2022 - Larry Matney - Astrophotography

Larry Matney is a long time landscape, wildlife and astro photographer. He loves spending time outdoors and photographing the beauty that is around us. He is a founding member of the PebbleCreek camera Club and also active in an astronomy club based in Surprise. On May 15th, the Phoenix area will have a full lunar eclipse that starts at sunset and goes to almost midnight. The moon will darken and turn red for just over an hour around the maximum of the eclipse at 9:11pm. It is a wonderful event to watch or photograph. In his presentation Larry will describe what a lunar eclipse is and how this specific eclipse will occur. He will describe options to photograph the eclipse and show sample images for several ways to present eclipse images. Lunar eclipses occur about twice each year, but where they can be seen on earth changes so this is a fairly unique event that should not be missed.

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03/21/2022 - John Mirro - Stock Photography

Are you familiar with Stock photography? It is the inventory of photographs which are often licensed for specific uses. Professional stock photographers traditionally place their images with one or more stock agencies on a contractual basis, while stock agencies may accept the high-quality photos of amateur photographers through online submission. Club member John Mirro has extensive experience and success with stock photography, both still images and video. Join us as he provides detailed and potentially profitable insight into this area of photography. (You can view John’s portfolio on Getty Images by searching for “skibreck,” his user name.)

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02/21/2022 - Isabel Clark - Post Processing Workflow

Join us in February to learn how, with a little work, a good photo out of the camera can become a great photo. Isabel Clark, an award-winning Arizona nature photographer, will provide us with an introduction to the use of powerful apps to enhance our photos with post processing, taking us through workflow from basic adjustments in Adobe Bridge (Lightroom or Photoshop) to utilizing NIK Color Efex Pro, NIK Silver Efex Pro, Topaz DeNoise AI, Topaz Sharpen AI, and Lumenza. You will be astounded by the resulting images obtained with relatively minor processing! More info about Isabel and her images can be found at: https://www.isabelfineartphotography.com/About-Isabel.

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01/17/2022 - Mark Laverman - Add Impact to Your Photography

Mark Laverman is a freelance photographer based in Phoenix, specializing in nature, travel and adventure photography. An Arizona resident for over 35 years, he photographs widely in the Southwest as well as in many international locations. Mark has photographed in over 25 countries such as Nepal, Tibet, Cambodia, Peru, Chile, China, Kenya, Tanzania, Turkey and Antarctica, including ascents of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Ararat. Mark's images have appeared in numerous national and local magazines, newspapers, books as well as corporate marketing collateral and advertising. His photographs are also included in many private and corporate collections. In 2011, Mark was named Photographer of the Year by the American Advertising Federation Metro Phoenix. The award was primarily for his Gold Addy winning work used in the Arizona Office of Tourism Advertising campaign which is entirely based on 16 of Mark’s images. For more information on Mark and his photography, visit his web site at www.marklaverman.com.

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12/20/2021 - Pot Luck Lunch Party at Oasis Pool Ramada, Noon - 3:00 p.m.

Please join us for a potluck party. This event will be restricted to camera club members and their families or guests. Proof of vaccination and masks will be required. Registration info will be emailed to all members. More details TBA.

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11/15/2021 - Guy Reed (Tempe Camera) - Mirrorless Cameras

Camera technology is rapidly shifting toward mirrorless. Join us as Guy Reed from local camera store Tempe Camera will demonstrate several major brands of mirrorless cameras and discuss associated capabilities and techniques. Many new models have been released by several manufacturers since Guy presented to the club in 2019 and many more new cameras and lenses are going to be released shortly.

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11/01/2021 - Bird Photography Outing,

3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Leaders: John & Linda Mirro, Larry Matney, Jim Chamberlain, Adriana Greisman

This outing will have attendance limited to 15 members. Proof of vaccination and masks will be required. Registration info will be emailed to all members.

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10/18/2021 - Cindy Marple - Basics of Bird Photography

Birds are a popular subject since they are bright, colorful, eye-catching, dynamic subjects. However, they are also fast-moving, challenging subjects so in this presentation Cindy will describe equipment and settings to help capture them. Cindy is a Nature Photographer whose favorite subject is birds; she currently teaches birding skills and bird photography classes through the City of Chandler Recreation department. Examples of her work can be seen at https://www.cindymarplephoto.com/

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9/20/2021 - Adriana Greisman - Camera/Photography Basics

Adriana will present her popular program on Camera Basics. This program reviews basic camera settings such as aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Using some fun interactive programs, participants will have the opportunity to learn about each of these exposure triangle settings and how they interrelate.

8/16/2021 - Galapagos - John/Linda Mirro

7/19/2021 - Colorado - Rockies - Larry Matney

6/21/21 6:30pm (live webinar & image review via zoom)

Social Media for Photographers

Kathryn Dannay

Image Review Theme: Travel Photography

5/17/21 6:30pm (live webinar & image review via zoom)

Cell phone photography

Kelli Klymenko

https://kelliklymenko.com/

Image Review Theme: Cell Phone Photos

4/19/21 6:30pm (live webinar & image review via zoom)