Our speaker for May is Peter Phun, a Southern California-based freelance photographer with over 2 decades of newspaper experience. He has taught photography at Riverside City College, UC Riverside Extension Center, La Sierra University, Art Institute Inland Empire, and the Riverside Art Museum.

Besides freelancing for publications, he also specializes in location portraiture and weddings, and conducts workshops on a variety of photography topics.  He is an expert when it comes to lighting, and will share some of his tips and tricks for using small flashes in landscape and street photography.

Our meeting is held on Wednesday May 2, 2018, 6PM at the Murray Center in Mission Viejo.

This weekend, we have a number of events ranging from Chalk art to Boats to Cars.  This weekend at the Norman P Murray Community Center in Mission Viejo, the annual Arts Alive Festival returns with an amazing assortment of artists displaying their chalk art talent on the Center’s parking lot along with a number of vendors and entertainment as well.

If you like sail boats, you can catch the Ensenada Yacht race out of Newport Beach tomorrow morning and photograph many of the yachts as they head out on this annual race to Ensenada.

For you car enthusiasts, there are a couple of events in Dana Point, Doheny Wood, and in Huntington Beach, Cruise-In.

If you like photographing people, especially if you are looking for those interesting and entertaining photos of people in costumes, then you can take a drive up to Irwindale for the Renaissance Pleasure Faire going on until May 20th.

Finally, as you may have seen in the last Photo OPS email from two weeks ago, there is an Atlas rocket being launched early Saturday morning of May 5 at Vandenberg AFB near Lompoc.  At this time of writing, I have not been able to find anyone who can lead this event.  There is interest from several members who would like to go.  There are areas in and around Lompoc photographers can setup to photograph this launch.  I would lead this myself if I didn’t have a conflict in my schedule.  Best time to go would be on Friday to scope out the areas to shoot during the day and return early the next morning to setup.  If anyone would like to step up, please let me know and I can provide all the information I have on this upcoming event.

Have a great weekend everyone and looking forward to seeing you all soon.

Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race

Watch boats from around the world set sail from the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach on Friday, April 27 at 11 AMwith the last boat passing by at approximately 1:30 p.m.

When:  April 27

Where:  1 Balboa Pier, Newport Beach, 949-644-1023.

Information:  www.nosa.org

Arts Alive Festival in Mission Viejo

Artist from all over transform and capture amazing beauty of art using pastel chalk as the medium to blend onto asphalt as their canvases. With each artist’s techniques and their enthusiasm for the love of art you can truly experience the metamorphosis around you.

LOCATION:  Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way at La Paz Rd, Mission Viejo.

When:  April 28-29  12:00pm to 5:00pm

INFORMATION:  949-470-8440          Website:  http://cityofmissionviejo.org/arts-alive

Doheny Wood – Dana Point

Show is free to Woodie owners and spectators. The state beach does have a park entry fee. Over 150 classic wooden cars, surf wagons will be on display.

Where:  Doheny State Beach [south end of park]

When:  April 28 – 29, 2018

https://sites.google.com/site/socalwoodieclub/

2018 Huntington Beach Cruise-In

Spend a day at the beach with over 100 Factory Five owners, music, car show awards, and good times!

When:  Saturday, April 28th from 9 AM – 4 PM

Where:  Main Street, Huntington Beach, CA

Information:  https://www.factoryfive.com/whats-new/join-us-2018-huntington-beach-cruise/

Cars & Coffee – San Cemente – Every Saturday morning

https://www.facebook.com/SouthOCCarsAndCoffee/

Renaissance Pleasure Faire

A time when individuals celebrated the awakening of a new idea, when light was let into darkness. The Renaissance Pleasure Faire celebrates the spirit of this period of history, where people have the willingness to try anything and everything.

When:  Saturdays & Sundays – April 7 thru May 20, 2018

Where:  Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area

15501 E. Arrow Highway • Irwindale, CA

Information:  http://renfair.com/socal/special-events/

General Photography Locations – For those with the photographic bug who would like visit a variety of locations in Orange County to take photos for shoots, landscapes, and more!  Enjoy these locations on your own!!!

https://www.shothotspot.com/browse/united-states/california/orange-county/hotspots/

http://www.coastalgroupoc.com/blog/the-top-20-hidden-gems-you-have-to-visit-in-orange-county-california.html

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Planes of Fame Air Museum AirShow – Chino, CA

If you missed the March Air Show in April, fear not!!!!  Featuring over 40 historic aircraft, including P-47 & A10 Thunderbolts, P-38 Lightnings and P-51 Mustangs flying for your enjoyment.

When:  May 5-6, 2018

Information:  http://planesoffame.org/index.php?page=general-info-2

*** Buy Tickets Online ***

Atlas V 401 Rocket Launch – Lompoc, CA

If you never have photographed a rocket launch, well, here is an opportunity to do so.  There is an opportunity to drive up to Lompoc and photograph the Atlas V launch which could start as early as 4AM on Saturday, May 5.  FYI, if the conditions are not right, then the rocket will not launch.  Currently at this writing, we do not have anyone to lead this event but there are many interested in going.  If interested, please contact Jaime Diaz à twindad97@gmail.com.  More information to follow.    
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7095&utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NASAJPL&utm_content=weekly20180406-3

LA Arts District Photo Walk

Led by Marion Nicholas.  We will be doing a 2 miles easy walking tour of colorful wall murals., but might take over 3 hours to photograph all  the murals and incredible art on the walls of buildings and parking lots.  They make great backgrounds for portraits too. This is a repeat outing from last year. We will be meeting for carpooling at7:00AM at Jeffrey Park.  Start walking tour around 8:00 AM and tour several of the surrounding streets and completing the tour just in time for lunch at the heart of the Art District.

When:  8 AM on May 12, 2018

Where:  Meet at Groundwork Coffee Co.  Link location provided below:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Groundwork+Coffee+Co./@34.0448701,-118.2361422,18z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x80c2c63a54b5873f:0xd46d538dad108ae0!2sArts+District,+Los+Angeles,+CA!3b1!8m2!3d34.0411747!4d-118.2380432!3m4!1s0x0:0x70b62d0cdf261b1e!8m2!3d34.045252!4d-118.235278

Temecula Balloon Festival

This fun-filled three day event offers early morning Hot Air Balloon Flights, an evening Balloon Glow, Wine Tastings, Craft Beer Tastings, a Kids Faire as well as a Commercial Court with over 150 vendors – and a Food Court filled with your favorite Festival foods!   

When:  Friday-Sunday  June 1-3

Where:  Lake Skinner Regional Park 37701 Warren Road Winchester, CA 92596

The Story of John Livingston’s Photographic Journey…

Unlike many of you, I’ve only been shooting for four years.  Even so, wow!  Was it really hard to limit the story of my photography to simply 30 images.  I shoot a lot of things but this evening I’m just going to share the milestones with you.  I guess the advantage to only shooting for a few years is that I started with digital and my whole photo history is in Lightroom.  It also means I can pinpoint the moments and the people that were most influential in developing my skills to what they are today. Almost all of those moments have been somehow associated with you (SCPC Members), and you probably don’t even realize it.  

When I was growing up, sure there was always a camera in the house.  Mom wanted her pictures of vacations and holidays as well as special events of course.  After I moved out I bought a camera and took some occasional photos with it.  But that’s not the beginning of my photo life, my beginning was on March 23^rd of 2014.  It was a Sunday and I was sitting in church with my wife when the pastor made his weekly announcements.  One of them was an invitation to come the following Saturday to the church as there was going to be a free landscape photography workshop.  I remember leaning over to my wife and whispering to her “I need to go to that, our vacation photos are terrible!”.  We had a Canon Rebel kit that my in-laws had given us a few years earlier that we didn’t know how to use and never had any good pictures from.  Which was terrible, because we always vacationed in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado and it’s a stunningly beautiful place.  

So the next Saturday I went to this workshop put on by a group of photographers led by Don Haynes from the “Photography Basics” group loosely affiliated with the PICS ministry of Saddleback Church.  A few hours later we went outside to practice and my head was spinning with strange concepts of composition:  Leading lines, rules of thirds, and frame your subject.   But wow, my pictures were suddenly better!  I was surprised, impressed, and immediately hooked.

Here are some of the photos I took that day.  They don’t look like much, but I have to tell you they are SOO much better than anything I had ever taken before.

Shortly after that I found Laura Hoffman’s classes on the Photo Basics facebook page and immediately signed up.  I had started to devour everything I could and started getting a few just slightly better photos that year.  Nothing amazing, but enough to keep me hungry and yearning for more.

Then in 2015 things really started to pick up.  I was shooting more often, still taking classes with Laura, but I hadn’t found my niche yet still shooting a mix of people and landscapes.   I’ve since moved solidly into landscape and nature, Click to see some of John’s images .

2016 was a pivotal year for me.   I assisted with a wedding, did a little bit of portrait work, went on a South County Photo Club coffee chat in Dana Paint, but finally in November I went camping with the family to someplace new we had never been before.  The Mojave National Preserve, and I fell in love with it there.

So why was that so pivotal for me?  Because in January of 2017 our guest speaker here at South County Photo Club was Bob Killen of the National Park Photography Expeditions, and he did guided photo trips to the Mojave Preserve.  I immediately went home and signed up, and because of that trip and his instruction I moved my post processing into Photoshop.

Also in 2017 South County Photo Club had an inspiring and challenging outing to Corona Del Mar led by Bodhi Smith, followed by his editing session.  While I had done some seascapes in the past that trip and the editing session really opened up the Landscape genre to me.

John Livingston

There are a number of photo activities this weekend to take advantage of.  The main one that has  received some interest is for the Atlas Rocket launch scheduled for early Saturday morning around 4AM out of Vandenberg AFB near Lompoc.  Due to weather conditions, the launch schedule may be compromised this Saturday.  As of Thursday morning, the launch alert indicates just a 20 percent probability of favorable weather at Vandenberg Air Force Base.  If the launch does not happen, then the Mars InSight launch has until June 8 to depart from Earth during this year’s Mars launch opportunity.  Below are some links to assist in learning more about the Atlas rocket launch as well as assist in getting a better understanding on where to see and photograph the launch.  If you are going, it is best to leave on Friday and scope out an ideal location to setup in and around Lompoc while you have daylight and then return early the next morning to setup.  Good Luck!!!

http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbsked.htm

http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbview.htm

https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/03/23/atlas-5-rocket-assembled-for-first-mars-mission-launch-from-vandenberg/

https://mars.nasa.gov/insight/mission/timeline/launch/watch-in-person/

Another photo opportunity available for this weekend includes the Planes of Fame Airshow in Chino, CA.  Our club has led events to this show in the last couple of years and if you are interested, you can purchase your tickets online or at the show itself.  Below are links to our last couple of years outings to get an idea of you will see:

https://southcountyphotoclub.smugmug.com/Club-Outings/Past-Year-Outings/2017/Chino-Air-Show-562017/

https://southcountyphotoclub.smugmug.com/Club-Outings/Past-Year-Outings/2016/Chino-Air-Show-Outing-4302016/

Other photo opportunities this weekend include the OC Marathon in Newport Beach, Wild West Steamfest, Soka University International Festival, and a number of Cinco de Mayo celebrations in and around OC.  All these events are ideal if you want to photograph people.

***  IMPORTANT *** 

Jaime will be out of town on business all next week thus will be unable to  provide Hot Tips May 11-13.

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR SATURDAY, MAY 12.  SCPC will have it annual LA Arts Photo Walk led by Marion Nicholas.  Please review the details  of the event on this email and if you have any questions or concerns, please email me before next week.

Have a great weekend and week you all!!!

Atlas V 401 Rocket Launch – Lompoc, CA

If you never have photographed a rocket launch, well, here is an opportunity to do so.  There is an opportunity to drive up to Lompoc and photograph the Atlas V launch which could start as early as 4AM on Saturday, May 5.  FYI, if the conditions are not right, then the rocket will not launch.  
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7095&utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NASAJPL&utm_content=weekly20180406-3

Planes of Fame Air Museum AirShow – Chino, CA

If you missed the March Air Show in April, fear not!!!!  Featuring over 40 historic aircraft, including P-47 & A10 Thunderbolts, P-38 Lightnings and P-51 Mustangs flying for your enjoyment.

When:  May 5-6, 2018

Information:  http://planesoffame.org/index.php?page=general-info-2

*** Buy Tickets Online or Onsite ***

Annual Cinco de Mayo Fiesta – San Clemente

The Annual Cinco de Mayo Celebration showcases live entertainment featuring traditional Mariachi’s and Ballet Folklorico to Cumbias, Tex Mex, and Salsa dancers. Community groups will be serving up authentic Mexican food fare and other activities will include a juried Art Contest, Carnival Game booths and a vendor area.

When:  May 5, 2018  2:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Where:  Max Berg Plaza Park 1100 Calle Puente San Clemente, CA

Information:  http://www.san-clemente.org/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/5516/2689?backlist=%2frecreation-community%2fspecial-events

Soka University’s Annual International Festival – Aliso Viejo

Enjoy over 900 musicians and dancers performing on three stages and over 250 non-profit, craft and business exhibitors! There will be lots of international food, exhibitors, games and activities, art exhibitions, ceramic sales, a children’s play area with Bounce House, student projects — and much more!

When:  Saturday, May 5, 2018

Where:  Soka University 1 University Drive Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

Information: http://www.soka.edu/news_events/International-Festival/default.aspx

Wild West Steam Fest 2018

The Wild West’s rough, rugged and raw personality meshes with steampunk technology to create one extraordinary experience. This fusion brings the best of both worlds to the Heritage Museum of Orange County including action-packed gunfights, energetic music performances and people dressed in kooky outfits. Victorian houses and beautifully vivid gardens surround the insanity just to throw you even further off the timeline you came from.

When:  May 5, 2018

Where:  Heritage Museum of Orange County|3101 W Harvard St Santa Ana, CA

Information: https://www.wildweststeamfest.com/

Cars & Coffee – San Cemente – Every Saturday morning

https://www.facebook.com/SouthOCCarsAndCoffee/

OC MARATHON – Newport Beach

Join thousands of other community-minded runners and walkers at the OC Marathon, beginning at Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa just south of Santa Barbara Drive. Pledges to benefit eleven local children’s charities through Run for Orange County Kids (ROCK).

When:  May 5-6, 2018

Where:  Newport Beach – Check Link below

Information:  http://www.ocmarathon.com/

Renaissance Pleasure Faire

A time when individuals celebrated the awakening of a new idea, when light was let into darkness. The Renaissance Pleasure Faire celebrates the spirit of this period of history, where people have the willingness to try anything and everything.

When:  Saturdays & Sundays – April 7 thru May 20, 2018

Where:  Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area

15501 E. Arrow Highway • Irwindale, CA

Information:  http://renfair.com/socal/special-events/

 General Photography Locations – For those with the photographic bug who would like visit a variety of locations in Orange County to take photos for shoots, landscapes, and more!  Enjoy these locations on your own!!!

https://www.shothotspot.com/browse/united-states/california/orange-county/hotspots/

http://www.coastalgroupoc.com/blog/the-top-20-hidden-gems-you-have-to-visit-in-orange-county-california.html

 UPCOMING EVENTS:

LA Arts District Photo Walk

Led by Marion Nicholas.  We will be doing a 2 miles easy walking tour of colorful wall murals., but might take over 3 hours to photograph all  the murals and incredible art on the walls of buildings and parking lots.  They make great backgrounds for portraits too. This is a repeat outing from last year. We will be meeting for carpooling at7:00AM at Jeffrey Park.  Start walking tour around 8:00 AM and tour several of the surrounding streets and completing the tour just in time for lunch at the heart of the Art District.

When:  8 AM on May 12, 2018

Where:  Meet at Groundwork Coffee Co.  Link location provided below:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Groundwork+Coffee+Co./@34.0448701,-118.2361422,18z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x80c2c63a54b5873f:0xd46d538dad108ae0!2sArts+District,+Los+Angeles,+CA!3b1!8m2!3d34.0411747!4d-118.2380432!3m4!1s0x0:0x70b62d0cdf261b1e!8m2!3d34.045252!4d-118.235278

 Temecula Balloon Festival

This fun-filled three day event offers early morning Hot Air Balloon Flights, an evening Balloon Glow, Wine Tastings, Craft Beer Tastings, a Kids Faire as well as a Commercial Court with over 150 vendors – and a Food Court filled with your favorite Festival foods!   

When:  Friday-Sunday  June 1-3

Where:  Lake Skinner Regional Park 37701 Warren Road Winchester, CA 92596

• Explore and control the light 
• Compose your images with style 
• Get creative with inspiring shot ideas 
• Present and share your images 

Meeting is at the Norman P. Murray Center in Mission Viejo at 6PM

Erin Manning

Howdy Folks,

After out for a week on business, it is great to be back to pass on this weekend’s Photo opportunities to you all.

This is a reminder, I will be having the quarterly outings meeting this coming Monday, May 21 at the Corner Bakery on El Toro.  Link location provided below:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Corner+Bakery+Cafe/@33.6180118,-117.7022689,191m/data=!3m2!1e3!5s0x80dce8f09cec32ed:0x881f1844a04777a0!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x77d9d4b7bbfc5876!2sCorner+Bakery+Cafe!8m2!3d33.6180799!4d-117.7025103!3m4!1s0x0:0x77d9d4b7bbfc5876!8m2!3d33.6180799!4d-117.7025103

I have drawn up a few outings ideas I would like to share with you for this Summer and would like to get your feedback on it.  Some of these ideas came from many of you and I wanted to thank you for them.  If you have any ideas on what outing(s) you would like to do this Summer, please show up and share and I can definitely work to make it a reality.  

I also wanted to remind you all that in two weeks, June 1-3, the annual Temecula Balloon Festival will take place.  You can purchase your ticket online for this event to get up close to the balloons or if you do not want to spend the money on that, you can also photograph the balloons outside the gates in the surrounding areas.  Please see last item on the listing.  Please check out last year’s link from the outings gallery:

https://southcountyphotoclub.smugmug.com/Club-Outings/Past-Year-Outings/2017/Temecula-Balloon-Fest-632017/

If any of you decide not to do the Workshop or Community Outreach events this weekend, there are a variety of photo opportunities which include Classic Cars, Surfing, Flowers, and Art.  When you are done with all that and you have built up a hunger, you can kill that edge by eating delicious lobster.

Have a Great Weekend Everyone!!!!!

… Jaime…

19th Annual Newport Classic Surf Contest

Join the fun at 54th street in Newport Beach at the 19th Annual Newport Classic Surf Contest.  This fun, exciting annual event featured divisions for surfers of all ages including: Elementary, Middle School, High School, Men’s Open, 30’s and 40’s, Women’s Open, Masters, Longboard, Softop and Bodyboard. You’ll also enjoy delicious food and beverages provided by Banzai Bowls, Pie-Not and Citizen Water plus $1 and $5 raffle giveaways!

When:  May 19-20 (Sat-Sun)

Where:  54^th Street, Newport Beach (Link Location Below)

https://www.google.com/maps/place/54th+St,+Newport+Beach,+CA+92663/@33.6236893,-117.9466504,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x80dd20143a4b7593:0xd5f9605e55aaefb8!8m2!3d33.6236893!4d-117.9444617

Cost:  $35

Annual Muckenthaler Motorcar Festival

A One-of-a-kind Automotive Cultural Event. Featuring car rally, motor movies & Concours d’Elegance and Horseless Carriage Tour. Live performances in the outdoor amphitheater by The Pleasure Tones on Saturday and Janet Klein and Her Parlor Boys on Sunday. Proceeds benefit youth arts education and outreach programs.

When:  May 19-20, 2018

Where:  Muckenthaler Cultural Center, 1201 W. Malvern Ave. Fullerton, CA

INFORMATION:   http://muckcarshow.org/

     714/738-6595

The 25th Annual Amateur Rose Show & Contest

For you flower lovers, here is a real treat for your photography.   Enter the contest by bringing in your rose entries. Just cut a few of your favorite and best roses from your garden and bring them in.  Vases are provided to do the rest of the work. You may enter as many roses as you wish, but only one rose of each variety. First, second and third place will be selected in each division with nearly $1,000 in awards.

When and Where:  https://patch.com/california/orange-county/calendar/event/20180519/331549/the-25th-annual-amateur-rose-show-contest

Tustin Lobsterfest 2018

This is the fest for those who love to indulge in decadence. Life doesn’t get much sweeter than when you’re outside enjoying the Southern Californian weather, listening to live music and stuffing your face with mouth-watering lobster and steak. Each guest is treated to all the claws, tails and whole lobsters their bodies can handle for an event your tastebuds will never forget.

When:  May 19, 2018

Where:  Peppertree Park|230 W First St Tustin, CA

 Balboa Island ArtWalk

The Balboa Island Artwalk is the premier showcase for talented local artists and marks the start of Balboa Island’s summer season. This fine art show features 100 artists exhibiting paintings, fine jewelry, blown glass, sculpture, and photography. Spectators will enjoy live music throughout the day.

When:  Sunday, May 20, 2018   9am-5pm

Information:  http://www.balboaislandartwalk.info/Artwalk/Balboa_Island_Artwalk.html

Cars & Coffee – San Cemente – Every Saturday morning

https://www.facebook.com/SouthOCCarsAndCoffee/

Renaissance Pleasure Faire

A time when individuals celebrated the awakening of a new idea, when light was let into darkness. The Renaissance Pleasure Faire celebrates the spirit of this period of history, where people have the willingness to try anything and everything.

When:  Saturdays & Sundays – April 7 thru May 20, 2018

Where:  Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area

15501 E. Arrow Highway • Irwindale, CA

Information:  http://renfair.com/socal/special-events/

General Photography Locations – For those with the photographic bug who would like visit a variety of locations in Orange County to take photos for shoots, landscapes, and more!  Enjoy these locations on your own!!!

https://www.shothotspot.com/browse/united-states/california/orange-county/hotspots/

http://www.coastalgroupoc.com/blog/the-top-20-hidden-gems-you-have-to-visit-in-orange-county-california.html

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Temecula Balloon Festival

This fun-filled three day event offers early morning Hot Air Balloon Flights, an evening Balloon Glow, Wine Tastings, Craft Beer Tastings, a Kids Faire as well as a Commercial Court with over 150 vendors – and a Food Court filled with your favorite Festival foods!   

When:  Friday-Sunday  June 1-3

Where:  Lake Skinner Regional Park 37701 Warren Road Winchester, CA 92596

Information:  https://www.tvbwf.com/

Temecula Balloon Festival

This fun-filled three day event offers early morning Hot Air Balloon Flights, an evening Balloon Glow, Wine Tastings, Craft Beer Tastings, a Kids Faire as well as a Commercial Court with over 150 vendors – and a Food Court filled with your favorite Festival foods!   

When:  Friday-Sunday  June 1-3

Where:  Lake Skinner Regional Park 37701 Warren Road Winchester, CA 92596

Information:  https://www.tvbwf.com/

Coffee Chat at the San Joaquin Nature Preserve:

For those who like to get there early, (the early bird catches the worm) we will be meeting at 7am and will spend an hour wandering around and taking fantastic photos of the wild life there, after which we will all meet at the Butterfly Gardens, at the picnic tables.  For those sleeping in on Saturday morning, we will all meet at the Butterfly Garden at 8am,  have an hour of chatting with our fellow photographers, exchanging ideas and tips, and then go for however long you would like, taking photos of this beautiful area.

Led by Jean Guluk

When:  Saturday June 2, 2018

Where:  San Joaquin Nature Preserve, 5 Riparian View, Irvine, CA 92612

Link Location:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/IRWD+San+Joaquin+Marsh+%26+Wildlife+Sanctuary/@33.6606039,-117.8405946,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x46dfb96a45894eb8!8m2!3d33.6612156!4d-117.8404283

Rare Vintage Air VW Show

Bring your VW to the Rare Vintage Air VW d’Elegance to kick off the Prado & Classic weekends.

When:  Saturday, June 2, 2018, 9 am – 3 pm

Where:  Old World Village, 7561 Center Ave. Huntington Beach

Information:  https://www.surfcityusa.com/event/rare-vintage-air-vw-car-show-at-old-world/17862/

Cars & Coffee – San Cemente – Every Saturday morning

https://www.facebook.com/SouthOCCarsAndCoffee/

Tustin Street Fair & Cook-Off

The event features a one-day Chili Cook-Off, salsa competitions, craft booths, non-profit food vendors, commercial vendors, entertainment, kids area, music, family friendly contests, wine & beer booths, family plaza and carnival attractions.

Admission is free.

When:  Sunday, June 3, 2018, 10 am – 5 pm

Where:  Old Town Tustin, El Camino Real and Main Street

Information: http://www.tustinca.org/depts/parks/streetfair/default.asp

Pacific Islander Festival

Discover the rich and diverse cultures of the Pacific Islands through traditional crafts and games, music and dance, including the hula and Tahitian drumming.

When: June 2-3, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach

Tickets: Free with Aquarium admission ($30 adults, $18 ages 3-11)

Information: www.aquariumofpacific.org

Bugs & Butterflies

If you like photographing butterflies, then this is for you.  OC Parks invites children and families to learn all about bugs and butterflies! Come tour Riley Wilderness Park’s butterfly garden at this free, family-friendly event. 

When:  June 3, 2018 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Where:  Riley Wilderness Park, 30952 Oso Parkway – Trabuco Canyon

Events

Information:  https://www.ocweekly.com/events/bugs-butterflies/

General Photography Locations – For those with the photographic bug who would like visit a variety of locations in Orange County to take photos for shoots, landscapes, and more!  Enjoy these locations on your own!!!

https://www.shothotspot.com/browse/united-states/california/orange-county/hotspots/

http://www.coastalgroupoc.com/blog/the-top-20-hidden-gems-you-have-to-visit-in-orange-county-california.html

UPCOMING EVENTS:

BIG Irish Fair and Music Fest 2018

Southern California’s BIG IRISH FAIR & Musicfest has a 44 year history of providing the very best in Irish and Irish American entertainment.

Where:  Orange County Great Park|6950 Marine Way Irvine, CA

When:  June 08, 2018 – June 10, 2018

Information:  http://www.californiafestivalguide.com/514309-big-irish-fair-irvine-california-june-2018.html#.Ww26_EjRWM8

Night Photography Practice Shoot – Ortega Highway:

We are planning an additional 1-2 Night photography outings for July and August and figured this event would be a great start to practicing shooting the Milky Way, Star Trails, and the Night Sky.  We will be meeting off of Ortega Highway (Highway 74) at the Trail Heads parking lot across the street from the Ortega Oaks Candy Store. 

Led by Jean Guluk

When:  Saturday  June 9, 2018 @ 7:30PM

Link Location:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Trail+Head+Parking+Lot,+Lake+Elsinore,+CA+92530/@33.6131167,-117.4257203,764m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x0:0xda84818fb66b3765!2sOrtega+Oaks+Candy+Store+and+Goods!8m2!3d33.6128129!4d-117.4262943!3m4!1s0x80dc910bf03fb453:0x8bd74e552e6b8c0c!8m2!3d33.6131853!4d-117.4271885

San Clemente Annual Car Show:

Come on and visit 23rd Annual Car Show in downtown San Clemente. The show boasts 300 quality show cars from classic to exotic and is free to the public. The venue will host food trucks, vendors, DJ entertainment and a live band. Also new this year will be vintage camper trailers available for show and tours.  Get there early to get good parking.

When:  June 16, 2018  10AM – 3PM

Where:  Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente

Information:  http://villagesanclemente.org/event/23rd-annual-car-show/

Night Photography/Astrophotography – Julian:

Start the evening at the Observer’s Inn for their unique Sky Tour where you get to view through up to eleven telescopes and listen to an expert in Astrology talk about the Stars, Clusters, Milky Way, Meteor showers, Nebulas, etc.  Cost of Sky Tour is $30. After which, we drive a short distance to a lookout point and setup our equipment to photograph the sky.  Email sent out earlier containing all pertinent information including lodging for Julian.  Contact Jaime Diaz for more details.

When:  Saturday, August 11

Where:  Julian, CA

Led by Joel Levine

Link for Sky View Tour:   http://www.observersinn.com/skytours.htm

Link for Participation sheet:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17qv6DLGHb19BaNaFLSo3mi1T_pAfmN80ZO5a3gIq_To/edit?usp=sharing

St. George Utah & Surrounding Area – 2018

This is a 4-day to St. George the surrounding area of South-Western Utah.  We will be photographing some amazing vistas and landscapes in this less travelled area of Southern Utah.  An itinerary has been provided along with some lodging/camping options provided in the SCPC Outings form included in the email sent by Jaime last week.  Some hiking /walking may be required to some of the areas.

When:  November 9th  to  12^th, 2018

Where:  St. Charles and surrounding area, Utah

Led by Deanna Denlinger/Jaime Diaz

Hello everyone, the first thing I want to say is how surprised I was theSCPC board selected me to be the featured photographer for this month. Thank you.  The story about my interest in photography is a little different than most, in that I was interested in lenses and not so much photography. My career has been in the precision optical industry. I first worked for the Perkin Elmer Corporation, in their model shop where we fabricated new and unique optical components. I was then asked to take part in starting a new optical company, JL Wood Optical Systems. I stayed with that company for over forty years and then my wife, Jeanette and I purchased the company’s assets and started our own company, Pacific Coast Optics. We were manufacturing optical components, lenses, and optical systems for military, scientific community and medical industry applications. My area of expertise is test and evaluation and quality assurance. So I was evaluating lenses on a lens bench, developing images of high resolution targets on glass plates. So I developed a great appreciation of lenses and how they performed. Some examples of lenses we built are; an anamorphic zoom lens for a start-up company called Industrial Light and Magic. Later to become known for a little movie called Star Wars. Also a heads up display lens for military aircraft which was featured in National Geographic magazine. We also worked with IBM developing the first optical storage disk. A favorite lens we made was a prototype for the Mars lander for Malin Space Science Systems. As with my personal photography, I wasn’t doing much until I met my wife Jeanette, who also worked at JL Wood Optical Systems – yup it was an office romance. She was very much involved with photography and we both enjoyed camping and traveling. So I bought a 35mm Canon film camera and we ramped up our photography, shooting slide film and entering our images in the OC Fair. That was fun but it was just not quite enough so we joined a Meet Up group. The Meetup was nice but not very challenging but that still wasn’t what we were looking for, so Jeanette and I along with 7 other photographers decided to start a proper photography club. This effort was mostly driven be Jeanette but it almost didn’t happen because Jeanette’s son died unexpectedly and we had so many other things on our plate, like helping our daughter in law and their two young kids. We went ahead with our plans and as it turns out that was what we needed to help get us through that difficult time. I think we had about 8 people at the first meeting and it looked like it might be a go. We had a few meetings and then word got out and we quickly needed a larger room to meet at. So we next met at the El Toro Library and then again we needed more room so we went over to the Aliso Viejo Library and now we are here at the Murray Center with over a hundred members. It’s been great and what I really like about it is the wonderful friends we have made and getting out and doing photo related things with them like outings, workshops and I especially like the Outreach activities. We have so many talented photographers in the club, I am just amazed and fortunate to be surrounded by such talent. My photography has certainly improved thanks to the club. So here are a few of my photos.

Our guest speaker for the August 1 meeting, Rick Graves, is an advertising cinematographer who is recognized industry-wide as an authority in capturing high-energy action imagery. His quest to capture images of speed led him to develop a novel camera system dubbed DistaCam. His self-built apparatus exposes an entire roll of film as one single frame, intriguingly capturing a “period of time” versus a “fraction of a second.” His slit-scan process creates images in motion so extraordinary that Wired Magazine, Autoweek, American Photo, and Chinese Art Photography have written articles featuring his distinctive work. 

Rick will be sharing some of his tips and tricks for capturing action that everyone can use. Be sure to check out his galleries before the meeting!

Meeting is at the Norman P. Murray Center in Mission Viejo at 6PM

Photography is the bridge between past, now,  and feature.  To freeze the moments of life, love, the connection to keep the memories alive.  These are the reasons my passion was shifted to be a photographer. My interest in photography is not only limited to one subject.  I believe a photographer can enjoy and create moments that will become as a document about the nature and human life. 

Photography improves my vision to see the people in action, the trees, the branches,  movements, the rocks, green meadows, sunset, moon light, …… all related to my life and making me think and be focused better and stronger. I enjoy tasting all of them,

My reward is when I see them framed and in living rooms, bedrooms and offices.

Click here to see Amir’s Photos

Our Speaker for September will be a longtime friend of SCPC – Laura Hoffman.

Laura is an illustrator, commercial photographer and credentialed photography instructor. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree from California State University Fullerton and holds two full-time teaching credentials in Career and Technical Education and Adult Education. Laura has a lifelong passion for illustration and photography. Laura teaches art for California State University, Fullerton and photography for Saddleback College Emeritus Institute and Community Education.

With decades of experience as an award winning commercial photographer and illustrator, Laura’s illustration work and photography has been published in numerous publications worldwide. Laura lives with her husband and dachshund in southern California.

This month, she will talk to us about composition and how we can take our photography to a higher level using some of her favorite techniques.

Directions to the Murray Center

Peter is an avid photographer who has been traveling all over the world for the past 3 years.   Please see his shared photos here

Our speaker for October is Mindy Schauer

Mindy Schauer is an award-winning photojournalist for the Orange County Register.  As a general-interest news photographer, she documents everyone and everything, from poverty in the hollows of West Virginia, to sports heroes and celebrities in Hollywood.  She has covered Hurricane Andrew, California wildfires, Pope Francis, four presidents, and religious outreach in Rwanda — not to mention puppies, school kids and everyday life in her community.

Mindy is a two-time Marine Corps Heritage Foundation award winner and ranks among the top photographers in the National Press Photographers Association’s Western Region each year. Mindy’s Pulitzer-nominated work documenting the life of a teen mom and her children hangs in the Clinton Presidential Library in Arkansas. 

Mindy will be speaking to us about photojournalism and street photography October 3rd, 6:00PM at the Murray Center, Mission Viejo.

Sandra’s Photographic Story:

I consider myself to be an enthusiastic hobbyist

My passion, before photography, was golf.  I was playing four times a week, it can be addictive, but so is photography.  They are both time consuming, can be expensive, but over time, photography became my passion and golf fell by the wayside.

I started exploring photography in 2010 by taking a ten-week introduction to digital photography class at Cal Poly Pomona.  My plan was to take the class, learn how to use a DSLR camera and put it away.  No way was I planning to take that heavy thing anywhere.  At the end of the ten weeks, I was hooked.

I joined a photo club in my community and quickly learned how bad I was.  It was suggested that I should consider classes, so I went to Tri Community School of Photography and learned a lot.  I then started going on photography vacations, and yes, lugging that heavy thing all over the world.  Sound familiar?

My Photos are a sample from some of my vacations.  I seem to be drawn to nature photography, specifically animals.

Sandra Crantz

Accomplished Nature Photographer, Ralph Nordstrom, is the featured speaker at our November  7, 2018 Meeting at the Norman P Murray Center in Mission Viejo.   

He will speak to us on the 4 pillars of landscape photography, and will share some insights into the work of Ansel Adams.

An artistic family, a love of the outdoors, the passion for teaching, and a strong technical background have given Ralph the solid foundation from which to journey into fine art landscape photography. In addition to his own photographic endeavors, leading photography workshops and speaking at photography clubs is a natural way for him to give to others.

He feels he has been rewarded in many ways – the thrill of being surrounded by the beauty and inspiration in nature, publications in magazines, awards for his photographs, speaking at camera clubs and judging photography competitions. But the greatest reward of them all is when he gets feedback from a student saying that their photography has improved as a result of the time we spent together.

Take a look at his website http://ralphnordstromphotography.com.

Ralph Nordstrom

Read  about Bob’s photographic journey below:

From a young age I loved looking at my Dad’s pictures from WWII Europe, and picked up my first Brownie at around age 5.  Like most kids I got bored and didn’t shoot again until I had kids when I got my first “real” camera, a Canon AE1.  Then of course life got in the way and when the kids got older my photography stopped until about eleven years ago when we started traveling and I bought a Canon Rebel.  About a year later I got my first Micro Four Thirds mirrorless, the Panasonic G1.  Since then, through many bodies and lenses (and dollars!), I’ve stuck with Micro Four Thirds and currently use Olympus bodies and either Oly or Panasonic lenses which are compatible.

My photographic interest is predominantly Wildlife and Nature, and we’ve become Africa Addicts having gone there seven times on safari.  Being retired now, I usually start each day at a local wildlife reserve such as San Joaquin, taking shots of birds and other wildlife I find.  It’s not Africa but it’s close and free!

I consider myself an intermediate photographer with a lot to learn, and I’m currently taking a course from Tin Man Lee to improve my skills.

My involvement with SCPC has opened my eyes to other photo areas, and I’ve included a few shots from club outings.  See Bob’s Images here.

Thanks for featuring me!

~Bob Greenberg

1. The monthly challenge will be announced in the first newsletter of the month. 
2. Images for the monthly challenge must be shot after the challenge is issued (no archival work) and must be completed (uploaded) by 11:59pm the last Sunday before our meeting.
3. Upload only one image per competition.
4. No watermarks.
5. If you know how, please put your name in the metadata.
6. Images stripped of the date stamp will not be considered for the competition.
7. Ribbons will be awarded each month for 1st, 2nd 3rd place.
8. A panel of judges will vote for winners.
9. A $100 cash award will go to the person chosen in a drawing held at the 2019 Christmas Party. 
10. EVERYBODY who submits an entry to monthly challenges during the year will be entered in the drawing for each of their entries and  eligible to win.

1/1/2019