Lee Sie will speak at our Regular South County Photo Club meeting on 2/6/2019, 6PM at the Murray Center in Mission Viejo.

Lee Sie was born in Utrecht Netherlands, grew up in Northern California, and now resides in San Diego, California.  Each place had a different look and feel; and, in some ineffable way, has influenced his aesthetic.

After 20 years working in Television and Film production and post-production, he decided to pursue his dream of being a full-time artist/photographer. He had a substantial portfolio of still images that he showed and sold at street fairs, coffee houses, and other public exhibitions, including The San Diego Airport. Through this exposure he came to the attention of local art gallery owners. They featured his work in shows and sold his art in La Jolla and other upscale locations. 

These gallery owners appreciated his eye for iconic local shots and encouraged him to travel abroad to capture iconic scenes in Europe and elsewhere.

In his presentation he will share his professional experience and travels and describe how he captures his images with an emphasis on what makes them “iconic”. He will also talk about the techniques, gear, tips and tricks he uses to turn everyday photos into Fine Art.

Lee Sie Website

Seven years ago, I took my first photo; a late bloomer by most standards. I had just been to a self-development workshop and was challenged to try a new activity for fun. I had always admired great photography and decided to give it a try. I quickly realized that photography was a great way to explore my surroundings in a new way. I couldn’t have imagined how challenging it would be; there is so much to learn about anything you want to capture – wildlife, landscape, food, sports, still life and more. (And to think I learned in a time when you could take as many photos as you like. I am not sure how I would have fared choosing just 36 exposures!)

I enjoy the learning and planning part of photography. I love researching places to go and learning how to get the shots I have in my mind. Although it’s rare that my photos match my vision, I thoroughly revel in the process. This wonderful hobby has given me the chance to meet amazing people, discover exciting places and learn new things.

I am thrilled to be part of the South County Photo Club; a fantastic group of people who are so generous with their time and talent. I have learned a lot in the meetings, stretched my skills in the challenges and, most importantly, enjoyed every minute of connecting with the people who make up this special club.

Thank you for the opportunity to share a little bit of my story with you all!

Born and raised in Tanzania, Paul Renner spent his childhood exploring the tremendous natural beauty of Africa in the vast Serengeti Plains and the world famous Ngorongoro Crater. Living among the native African tribes, he learned Swahili language, as well as the art of tracking and observing animals in there natural habitats. With such a unique background, leading African Safaris came naturally to Paul.

Join us to learn more about Paul’s fascinating life story and photographic adventures at our March 6th meeting at the Mission Viejo Norman P. Murray Center at 6pm.

For almost seven decades, having a camera in my hands has been important. Freezing time and capturing moments have been important parts of my life. Originally, my goals were to preserve my thoughts and feelings about what I was seeing. Ultimately, these aims have expanded to create emotions in viewers whether their impressions were the same or different than mine. SCPC has
provided opportunities to further these goals at meetings, on the road with photo ops and through the monthly friendly contests designed to get us all to expand our horizons. I am honored and grateful for being selected the featured photographer of the month for March 2019.

Living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, professional wildlife and conservation photographer Jami Tarris will take us on an exciting adventure in the field of photographing wildlife and landscapes in remote corners of the world. Jami has been photographing for over 30 years and during this time she fell in love with nature photography and started photographing wildlife and landscapes professionally.  Her work focuses on conservation issues, endangered species and fragile landscapes. Published worldwide in books, newspapers, calendars and magazines such as National Geographic, Africa Geographic, Outdoor, Outside, GEO, BBC, Nature’s Best, Ranger Rick and many more, Jami will talk to us about her life as a professional nature photographer and take us behind the scenes. She will share intimate details on how to survive in the bush, real-life encounters with wild animals, and the challenges that she and her photographer husband face while being isolated for months at a time.

She has won awards in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the Windland Smith Nature’s Best and the National Wildlife Foundation. Her images have been exhibited in museums such as the Smithsonian Museum, London’s Natural History Museum, the Prince Albert Museum of London, Sydney’s Natural History Museum and the Natural History Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Rod Clark is the May 1 guest speaker. He will be discussing the photography of Ansel Adams and giving tips about how to shoot like Ansel Adams with digital photography. He is also the CEO of Wine Country Camera,which manufactures an advanced filter system. 

Click here to view his images. 

Martha Hernandez Photographic Journey

My photographic journey took a start and stop in my 20’s with a 35mm Pentax camera and then again in my 30’s with one of the first great digital cameras – a Sony Cyber Shot with a whopping 3.2 mpx. It was a big deal at the time – it also cost a whopping $900 – ouch!

 Fast forward to 2008 and my brother gifted me my first Canon Rebel for taking care of our late mother. This was such a nice gift I vowed to learn how to use ALL the functions. My first addition to this camera was a 70-300 telephoto. I really enjoy being outdoors and photographing nature, but with a son still in school at the time, most of my photos were John and his music department at school. However, every chance I got I photographed nature.

I soon added a wide angle and a macro to my collection and a tripod. And now I receive B & H’s Daily Deals and the gear keeps growing along with more bags than I can use in a lifetime! 

Three years ago, my friend and SCPC member Lynn Beeler kept bugging me to join SCPC. Not being a club kind of person, I reluctantly came – and I’ve missed very few meetings since; I owe so much to her, she didn’t give up on me!

The club has inspired me into new areas of creativity. The outings are fantastic and get me motivated. It was the Carrizo Plain outing that has had the greatest impact on me – I came back with photos that showed growth in composition and lighting.  Another positive impact the club has had on me was our speaker Bob Killen and his National Park Masterclass. I have had the good fortune of going on two trips; the 5 hours of individual post trip teaching is an asset to continued artistic growth. Bob is more than a teacher, he is a true mentor that I owe so much to. I also owe much credit to my husband Ralph. He continues to be supportive in everything I venture into and without his positive support I would not have had my greatest experience yet.

Last year I had a coworker push me to enter photographs in the Laguna Beach Art A Fair. I didn’t expect to get in but thought the call for artist experience would be good for me. I received my acceptance in the mail – it was like receiving your acceptance letter from your college of choice – very exciting – and “oh shit now what do I do!” So, I jumped in and had the time of my life – and again I owe so much to Ralph for always being supportive 

Mark Girardeau will be the guest speaker at the June 5th, 2019 South County Photo Club meeting, 6:00 PM at the Norman P. Murray Center in Mission Viejo.

A few years ago realized that most of his photos were in Orange County and there was not really any info about Orange County’s local wildlife. So, he created a new Instagram group and website that would educate people about the awesome things Orange County has to offer besides the normal beach, dining, and shopping type stuff. He wanted to motivate people to get off their couch and outside.

He created “Orange County Outdoors”. His first media experience was with a whale that created a rainbow from its spout with his drone positioned at the perfect angle https://youtu.be/DMIAbxGR6Dc. This video went viral and was aired on all the local news stations and then somehow it made its way to other news sources around the world. After that happened he gained news connections and started sending more stuff off to the news. That whale that made that rainbow spout ended up washing ashore and dying a couple years later which also made the news because the whale had a viral video before. It was sad but emphasized why we need to take care of our oceans. Here was this whale everybody loved, now dead. His name was Wally, often seen off Orange County with another whale known as Wilma https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/07/19/wally-the-whale-that-inspired-in-life-and-defied-in-death-is-finally-laid-to-rest/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.ce18f8b06269.

Mark often documents his unique whale insights on a website called Happywhale. He has learned how to identify individual whales based on their unique tails. He now spends his weekends as a deckhand/photographer for a whale watch company called Newport Coastal Adventure. Come hear more about Mark’s adventures and love of nature on June 5th.

About John Tobin:

I was born with a creative side that has always needed to be nurtured and photography is the creative art form that chose me. I have extensive portrait experience working for several national portrait studios and I’ve received extensive training in portrait photography which has served me very well to this day. People are my favorite subjects, because there is much more emotion in a photograph of a person than there is in any landscape, flower, bridge, etc (not knocking those things though!). I really enjoy all kinds of photography, but I especially enjoy photographing individuals in particular, and the challenge of telling the story of what they are all about in a single image.In the last few years I have taken a more artistic and creative approach to my evolving photography and as that grows I am less interested in standard portraits. Creating a definitive “style” has been my goal. My Photoshop use began in the 90’s with Photoshop 4.0. Now my nightly Photoshop sessions are like going to the playground when I was a kid. Only instead of climbing and sliding, I’m masking and brushing. I appreciate the opportunity I have to share a few of my images with the Club and hopefully provide some inspiration for those who share similar interests. – – John Tobin

Raul Roa has been staff photographer with Times Community News for nine years and a professional photojournalist for 23 years. He is an avid nature and travel photographer and enjoys the challenging world of astrophotography. His passion is to document and tell the unique stories in our communities and hopes to make a positive difference in the world with his photography.

Dave’s story: My photo journey began in the early 1970s with a plastic box camera and a night school photography class, but I soon found out I was was allergic to the darkroom chemicals. My family saw my interest and gave me a 35 mm camera as a gift, so I switched  to shooting color slides. They looked great projected on a screen, except for those darn telephone wires.

Raising five children was my first priority, so I took a long break from the time and expense this hobby requires, but then In the late 1990s I got my first digital camera. Now that I could easily fix those wires and other picture problems in the computer,  my love affair with photography really took off.

I have always had a limited budget, so my goal is to shoot the very best pictures I can with whatever camera I can afford. I have been in other photo groups, and I really appreciate that this club is all about the “image”, and not the gear.

Although my main interest is shooting landscapes, I love capturing unique subjects, and my pet project is Cross Watching. I have made photo books, travel DVDs, and prints for my walls, but have no plans for my pictures other than my own personal enjoyment.

~ Dave Miller (See Dave’s Photos Here)

To say that I am honored to be selected from among the many wonderful photographers in our club would be an understatement. My first real interest in photography came when I joined the photography club in 8 th grade. Our science teacher was a photographer (weddings, etc. to supplement a teacher’s salary). We built a pin-hole camera. That was  cool. However, watching the image come alive in the
darkroom was magical.

As a teenager I took a lot of snap shots, but it was not until 1968 when I was in the army that I bought a Pentax Spotomatic from the PX that I felt like a photographer. I shot mostly black and white and developed and printed in my
windowless bathroom converted into a periodic darkroom. A few years later, that same 8 th grade science teacher
directed me to by a Nikon F3. Now I was cooking! I shot a lot of Kodachrome and Ektachrome of my family at the beach. On weekends I would project photos of the previous weekend on the side of our neighbors house! It was like a drive-in movie!

Taking pictures, capturing memories, and trying to be artistic has always been a passion of mine. A couple of years ago I was having lunch with my daughter and sat down next to a woman with a photography book. I asked her if it was a good book. I don’t remember what she said, but she suggested I come to a SCPC club meeting that night! I did.
Since it was my first meeting, I  introduced myself and explained how I discovered the club. All the while I was
looking around for the woman that told me about the club, I did not notice the Janna Morgan was sitting right next to me! Making new friends, listening to interesting speakers, participating in monthly challenges, and going on outings has definitely upped my game.
I am having the photographic time of my life!

See Denny’s images here.

Tin Man Lee – Wildlife Photographer to Speak September 4, 2019 at the Murray Center, Mission Viejo, CA

Tin Man Lee returns to our stage with fascinating new inspirational stories and amazing Wildlife Photos.  He has been honored by a plethora of  prestigious publications and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

Read his entertaining story, “How Tin Man Went From Being A Couch Potato To An Award-Winning Wildlife Photographer?” here.

He will speak at the Norman P. Murray Center in Mission Viejo on September 4, 2019 at 6:00PM at our South County Photo Club Meeting (Public Invited).

https://tinmanlee.com/

I developed an appreciation for the natural world and outdoor adventure at an early age.  I grew up exploring the trails and landscapes of Yosemite, Utah, and the Southwest.  At age 8 I was given my first camera, an Argus 75 and this allowed me to capture these beautiful places on film.  In my early 20s I became inspired by Ansel Adams, and wanted to take my photography to the next level.  I then enrolled in a series of classes at Fullerton College and learned the importance of composition, lighting, and waiting for the right moment.   

I have since become a serious amateur photographer and videographer and I continue to develop my skills through courses, seminars, and lots of practice. ~ Jim Rusher

Krisztina Scheef – October Guest Speaker

Growing up in Hungary as a young teenager I spent my summers hiking, camping and learning about nature, wildlife and conservation. After getting my college degree in Animal Science & Agricultural Engineering from the University of Godollo in Hungary, I continued my studies at Purdue University. During my graduate school years I worked as a Teaching Assistant in the Biology Department at Purdue. Later I moved to Southern California where I continued to enjoy and photograph the local wildlife and the natural beauty of my favorite spot, Lake Hodges in San Diego County. Today I spend my time between San Diego and roaming Scotland, where I also offer small group tours to the Highlands and Isle of Skye for nature photography. I also offer tours to Ireland, Costa Rica, and other parts of the US.

Read more about Krisztina  here.

Krisztina Sheeff will speak at the Norman P. Murray Center in Mission Viejo on October 2, 2019 at 6:00PM at our South County Photo Club Meeting (Public Invited).

View Krisztina’s inspiring photo Gallery here

How to Shoot Airshows

Two Airshow photographers from South County Photo Club prepared documents to share their experience with other members. Their goal is to help you get better results faster using their proven techniques and lessons learned.

Below are links to three documents:

Airshow Shooting Tips by Vince Neale

Airshow Tips by Mike Daniel

Airshow Checklist by Mike Daniel

October 2019 Featured Photographer – Catherine Singer

Catherine Singer specializes in digital collage, nature, travel, and landscape photography.

 She’s had a camera around her neck since she was eight and took classes at the Photographic Workshops in New Canaan, CT beginning at 15. There, she learned the basics of black and white photography and darkroom techniques.

A camera has accompanied her everywhere throughout her life: shooting concerts, traveling the world, documentary and portrait work with people with AIDS/HIV, and photographing weddings and portraits. She’s taken many classes from her favorite photographers.

Catherine’s work has appeared on CD covers, in books, newspapers, magazines, and on people’s walls.  She’s been juried into many exhibits and displayed in galleries around the country, cafes and bookstores.

See Catherine’s Photos here

Jeff Lewis to Speak November 6, 2019 at Murray Center, Mission Viejo –

Jeff Lewis will be our November Guest Speaker.

Based in Southern California, and as a member of SanDisk’s Extreme Team, Jeff Lewis’ passion for sports has taken him all around the world for sports action and portrait assignments for magazines, newspapers, corporate, and commercial clients.

Jeff has photographed many high profile events including the Superbowl and the NBA Finals for clients such as the Associated Press, the NFL Network, the Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper, and USA Today Sports.

His work has been featured in Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine, GQ, Maxim, the Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times to name a few. Other clients have included Samsung, Verizon, Arclight Cinemas, SanDisk, Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Inc., and countless athletes all around the world.

Jeff Lewis is the currently the head team photographer for the Los Angeles Rams.

Check out his website samples of his great work.

Also See “Sports Photographer Jeff Lewis keeps the Rams in Focus” : Los Angeles Standard Newspaper article from October 4, 2019.

See OC Fair SCPC Award Winners

See SCPC Entries Displayed at the OC Fair