Berks Photographic Society

Paul Sanders of the UK will present “The Soul of the Creator” via a hybrid zoom meeting. More info to follow
2024-05-20 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Hybrid
Paul Sanders will present live from the UK his talk entitled “The Soul of the Creator” via a hybrid zoom meeting. This presentation will explore the relationship a photographer must have with their subject & why we so often fail to pay our fullest attention to our muse. Every genre of photography is a collaboration between two elements, the photographer & the subject but each has the impressions of hundreds, if not thousands of other influences embedded within them. This talk aims to unravel the mystery of this relationship & offers thoughts about how we might all benefit from being a little more grateful of the hands of others in our chosen subject.

English fine art photographer Paul Sanders has been involved in photography since leaving school, first as a black & white printer, then as a fashion photographer. His career changed direction in the early 1990s as he started working as a news photographer. This change led to a post at Reuters & then The Times newspaper, as Picture Editor overseeing the entire visual content of the prestigious publication. Paul left The Times at the end of 2011 to pursue his love of nature & the landscape.
Paul’s approach to landscape photography is one of mindful connection. After looking at nearly 20,000 images every day during his years at the Times, his own work is the result of his emotional & spiritual responses to the subjects. He works with & reflects the sense of stillness & calm he feels whilst with them.
A passionate advocate for mental health & the benefits of using photography to help with recovery, Paul leads workshops for West Kent Mind to build confidence & resilience for those suffering with a wide range of mental health needs.
His first book, a limited edition of 150 (self published through Envisage Books), sold out in under 24 hours. Paul is a sought after speaker in the UK & Europe. His highly reflective work has been exhibited widely across the UK, Europe & Japan. Paul is an ambassador for Fujifilm UK, Fotospeed Papers & Lee Filters.
Visit Paul’s website at www.discoverstill.com as well as his Instagram account @discover_still & his Facebook page discoverstil.
This will be a paid event for non-members with a $10 donation. For non-members interested in attending, please register by making your $10 donation at https://store.berksphotographic.org/product/club-donation/.

BPS member Dutch Bagley presents “Architectural Haiku”
2024-06-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
BPS member Dutch Bagley presents “Architectural Haiku”
Dutch has loved capturing images of a city’s architecture wherever he visits, especially in New York City. For this presentation, Dutch will demonstrate his initial approach for selecting a capture, the tools used to create an image and will show how he creates light flows, enhances contrasts and tonal ranges, incorporates selections and curves into his images to promote an in-depth three-dimensional look for his architectural images, and how finished work is readied to hang on a gallery wall. Even if your work is focused in another direction, this presentation will give you additional options to create your vision.
Dutch is a self-taught amateur photographer, beginning with his passion for all sizes of film cameras in the 70’s, creating black and white framed prints, through to his acceptance of using digital processes during the last 10 years to recreate newer versions of those long ago visions. He is an avid (understatement) local, national and international photography competition entrant, relentlessly tracking/analyzing his yearly and lifetime competition entry costs, number of images accepted/rejected, acceptance rate (currently 47.62 %), etc., etc., etc., and much more, which keeps him in the rabbit hole. He is a member of 9 photography clubs/venues, including: President of Gallery 14 in Hopewell NJ, V.P. of the Cheltenham Camera Club and a member of the Phillips’ Mill Photo Exhibition Committee. He enjoys creating and giving presentations to photography clubs on topics that drive his photographic experience, believing that sharing one’s knowledge can make us better creators of art.

“Authentic Travel Photography in the Age of Instagram” with Bob Krist
2024-06-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
– June 17, 2024 at 7:00 PM: Bob Krist will present via a hybrid Zoom session “Authentic Travel Photography in the Age of Instagram”. The following thoughts are from Bob: “There’s no doubt about it, social media like Instagram & Facebook has allowed photographers to reach much wider audiences. It’s no longer necessary to pass the gatekeepers of magazine art directors & picture editors to share your photos with the world. The democratization of media has been a boon to photographers. But it’s not without its pitfalls. Instead of fostering a genuine interest in other peoples & cultures, the Instagram aesthetic somehow became one of, ‘hey look at me.’ Rather than using the camera as a license to be curious, we use the camera as a tool to brag with. Pandemic notwithstanding, we may be traveling, shooting & sharing more, but we’re not becoming any more culturally literate. However, we have become a whole lot more narcissistic.”
Traveling Photographer (2000) was hailed by American Photographer magazine as “the best book about travel photography we’ve ever read.”
You can visit Bob’s website HERE.
This will be a paid event for non-members with a $10 donation. For non-members interested in attending, please register by making your $10 donation at https://store.berksphotographic.org/product/club-donation/.

BPS Member Photo Competition & Critique Night The theme is “Anything Goes” in both Pictorial & Nature categories. This is a change in topic.
2024-06-24 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
The second BPS competition and critique for this year will be held on June 24, 2024. Submission deadline is Sunday night, June 9, 2024 at 12 MN. This deadline is close. Submit now. This will be a recorded, hybrid meeting using Zoom for those who decide not to join us at the GoggleWorks. Every member is encouraged to participate. The goal of our competitions is to make these sessions learning experiences for everyone, the submitters and the observers. Hopefully, this will lead to improved photographic outcomes down the road. This is accomplished by having highly qualified judges who do thoughtful and constructive critiques of the submissions and give actionable recommendations.
“Anything Goes” is the theme for this event in both nature and pictorial. This theme was used in 2023 but is being repeated. The reason for this is to allow our creative expressions to go all out again. Here is the chance to shine. This is the session to showcase abstract images, multiple exposures, intentional camera movement, Photoshop manipulation or even straight forward, representational imagery, if desired. Any type of image, genre or creative process works as long as all of the elements originate entirely within a camera. To be specific, no AI generative fill elements are allowed in any BPS competition. The maker will need to differentiate between Pictorial and Nature subject matter as the core basis of their images since this could be difficult to discern from the final result.
The BPS competition rules were revised and given BPS Board approval on May 8, 2023 and some slight procedural changes were made this year. Everyone should review the latest rules and the details for entry as found HERE or refer to the BPS website for details under the “Competition” header. This document will give you the naming guidelines and the sizing criteria along with a lot more information. Ginnie has created a guideline for image sizing – check it out HERE. Please, please do your best to get this process correct. Carefully review your files before your submission. There continue to be a significant number of errors which creates a large amount of unnecessary work on my part.
For competitions, BPS members are divided into Class A (advanced) and Class B groups. Generally, all new members are in Class B. If you feel that your photographic images and skill level are indeed “advanced” then please email Vince Pellegrini at Vince.Pellegrini@berksphotographic.com to request a review. Each dues-current BPS member in Class A and Class B group may submit up to two images in each of the two categories, Pictorial category (P) and Nature category (N). Please note the category designation has changed to clarify things with P and N now used for the two categories (instead of A and B.)
For submission, there are 4 links to 4 separate directories in the Club’s SmugMug account to upload images into, depending on the photographer’s Class (A or B) and the image Category (Pictorial=P or Nature=N). This will then automatically separate the image files appropriately on the receiving end.
Class A photographers use these 2 links to upload files once they are sized and named correctly:

Pictorial (P): https://www.smugmug.com/upload/r5ZTvq/ClassAPictorial

Nature (N): https://www.smugmug.com/upload/BkRVbG/ClassANature

Class B photographers use these 2 links to upload files:

Pictorial (P): https://www.smugmug.com/upload/f7pVTw/ClassBPictorial

Nature (N): https://www.smugmug.com/upload/F5hJxr/ClassBNature

If you have questions or need help, please email Vince before submitting at Vince.Pellegrini@berksphotographic.com. Remember, no changes can be made after submission.
Submission of an image for any BPS competition indicates agreement of the maker to allow BPS to post the image in the BPS Newsletter and online via the BPS website and BPS YouTube channel.
Carl Finkbeiner will be the judge for this competition. Carl is a professional photographer in the Philadelphia area, offering fine art photographs, artifact photography services for curators and makers, as well as photography instruction. After a 45 year career in a highly rational/analytical profession – statistical sciences – he left the business world in 2015 and pursued his lifelong passion for photography in earnest. Carl earned the Contemporary Practices Photography Certificate from the Tilt Institute in Philadelphia, then worked in event and portrait photography, exhibited his own work, taught photography composition and editing, and is the Photographer at the Rose Valley Museum, shooting the collection as well as events and marketing material.
Carl is an instructor with the Digital Photo Academy which offers a range of on-line courses and services as well as over 200 in the field sessions around the world through 124 instructors. Carl’s own business is Deliberate Light Photography. Carl can be found on Instagram and Facebook: @carlfinkbeiner.
The four first place winners of this BPS competition will be posted on the Digital Photo Academy sites.

BPS member Ginnie Lodge will share “Photoshop Tips and Tricks.”
2024-09-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
BPS member Ginnie Lodge will share “Photoshop Tips and Tricks.”
Learn how to go from Lightroom to Photoshop and back again. Find out about the power of layers. Learn how and when to use the new generative AI features to remove objects or expand your photos. And more! She will address questions sent by members in advance to help you use Photoshop more effectively.

Francesco Gola will present “Introduction to Seascape Photography” from Italy in a hybrid zoom session
2024-09-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
In this event Francesco will take us on an engaging journey through the captivating realm of seascape photography. The session will kick off with a comprehensive exploration of the essential gear required to capture the breathtaking beauty of seascapes. From cameras & lenses to tripods & filters, Francesco will provide valuable insights into assembling the perfect toolkit for this genre. Moving seamlessly into camera settings, we can expect to unravel the intricacies of achieving optimal exposure, focus & depth of field in various seaside scenarios. Francesco will demystify the technical aspects, empowering photographers of all levels to master their equipment & create mesmerizing compositions. The heart of the talk will delve into shooting techniques, with a particular focus on the art of long exposure. Francesco’s expertise in this area will shine as he unravels the magic behind capturing the ethereal movement of waves, transforming ordinary scenes into extraordinary visual stories.
Francesco will also share invaluable practical advice garnered from years of hands-on experience. From timing the perfect golden hour shots to navigating unpredictable weather conditions, these insights will prove invaluable to anyone seeking to immerse themselves in the world of seascape photography. Whether a beginner or a seasoned enthusiast, participants will leave the meeting with a heightened appreciation for the art & a toolkit of skills to embark on their own seascape photography adventures.
Francesco Gola is an engineer who’s fallen in love with photography. Born in Italy in 1981, as soon as he started taking pictures he fell in love with long exposures of seascapes. For him, a long exposure is a parallel universe in which to escape from the frenzy of modern life. His passion for the sea & for travel led him to visit some of the most iconic locations on this planet, looking at them with different eyes.
Inspired by the romantic painters William Turner & Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky, Francesco developed a special emotional relationship with nature that is clearly expressed through his seascape photographs.
Now Francesco lives & teaches photography in Milan where he collaborates with companies, sites & magazines for the diffusion of photographic culture in Italy & in the world.

Visit Francesco’s sites to learn more about his wonderful work & offerings: WEBSITE & INSTAGRAM.
This will be a paid event for non-members with a $10 donation. For non-members interested in attending, please register by making your $10 donation at https://store.berksphotographic.org/product/club-donation/.

BPS member and photography educator Valerie Hoffman shares “My Adventure in Norway!
2024-10-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
– October 7, 2024 at 7:00 PM: BPS member and photography educator Valerie Hoffman shares “My Adventure in Norway!
Norway is a Scandinavian country encompassing mountains, lakes, glaciers and deep coaster fjords. Its beauty is unparalleled, and so are the photographic opportunities!
Usually the one leading photography workshops here in the states, Valerie says, “In 2022, I had the opportunity to spend 15 days traveling and photographing the beauty of Norway. Join me as I share images and stories from my adventure!”
See Valerie’s website to find out which adventure you can have with her at valeriehoffmanphotography.com/.

“Trust the Process” with Jean Miele
2024-10-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
– October 21, 2024 at 7:00 PM: Jean Miele will present via a hybrid Zoom session “Trust the Process”. “Gino” is looking forward to showing some of his photographs as a way to share his own three-part creative process: trusting your eyes, not knowing how things will turn out, & playing a deceptively simple game of “What if?”.
In Gino’s own words: Great pictures, classic stories & poetry, scientific breakthroughs… they all come from the same wellspring of our collective consciousness. Because photography is a visual medium, not an intellectual one, it’s only by trusting our intuition, our bodies – our feelings rather than our thoughts, that we can develop a process that allows us to tap into that wellspring. Trusting what we see – rather than what we think – is how we connect with that Universal source. Developing & trusting a process means regardless of whether we know what to do next, we can engage in picture-making. In fact, not knowing what to do is the best way to proceed.
We are very fortunate to have enlisted Gino. He is a very prominent photographer, artist & educator who is in very high demand. Gino’s photographs explore the borderlands between fiction & reality, & reflect his lifelong interest in perception, spirituality & mysticism. His images remind viewers that moments of perfection are possible & that we create our own reality. He believes every photograph is an act of transformation & that the photographs we make tell us more about ourselves than about what was in front of the lens. Miele’s photographs have appeared in thousands of publications & his original prints exhibited & acquired by collectors worldwide.
Gino is based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He offers workshops & one-to-one mentoring that empower students to realize their own photographic vision. For more info & to purchase original prints, check out: www.jeanmiele.com, https://www.instagram.com/jean_miele/ & www.facebook.com/JeanMielePhotographer.
This will be a paid event for non-members with a $10 donation. For non-members interested in attending, please register by making your $10 donation at https://store.berksphotographic.org/product/club-donation/.

BPS Member Photo Competition & Critique Night "Monochrome Imagery" ********UPDATE*******
2024-10-28 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
Last Minute
UPDATE on BPS October Photo Competition & Critique
“Monochrome Imagery”
By Vince Pellegrini

Because of a medical issue, our scheduled judge for this competition, Lewis Katz, had to step aside. But, no fears. Arrangements have been made for Pete Morton to step in to judge & critique our images on October 28, 2024. Pete is a certified judge who is especially fond of monochrome photography.
In 2019 Pete attended a judge training program and was certified by the Maryland Photography Alliance. He has subsequently judged photography competitions for dozens of camera clubs in numerous states and for the PSA. Pete has given presentations about judging photography, landscape photography, informal portrait photography & advanced Photoshop techniques, among others. Pete was elected to be a PSA Associate. He is active in the PSA Digital Dialogue Study Groups & administers a group focused on monochrome photography. Additionally, he is currently involved in managing a PSA monochrome competition of 17 international camera clubs.
His involvement in judging photography competitions has led to Pete’s philosophy about judges’ comments & suggestions. He believes that photographers should never blindly accept a judge’s critiques. Instead, their input should be carefully weighed & the photographer should decide which comments they agree with. In fact, anyone’s honest thoughts about a photographer’s work can be useful. Pete believes that learning from suggestions of others is how we grow as artists.
Pete accepted invitations to lecture on digital photography at the college level in Cornwall, England & later to teach advanced Photoshop techniques to professional photographers in London.
We have an extremely qualified judge for our Monochrome competition, rest assured.
See you all at 7:00 PM on October 28, either at the GoggleWorks or on Zoom.
ZOOM LINK FOR OCTOBER 28:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82781546515?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 827 8154 6515
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Jonathan Vaines of the UK will present a hybrid zoom session titled “Creative Motivation”
2024-11-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
This talk will be an artistic approach to photography, stepping out of the mainstream. Along with individual images, Jonathan will discuss the motivational benefits of working with Projects, Sets & Groups of images. Most of his pictures are created using “in camera” techniques & therefore the focus of the evening will be about “Thinking Inside The Box”. He will take us to a place far away from the reality of life into Visual Art, creating work from simple everyday things around us. Jonathan hopes to inspire us, give us that spark to go out & take a different picture.
Jonathan took his first photograph in 2012, joined his local club to work out what to do & soon moved on. He has had many roles away from the camera in his short photographic life. Jonathan has been the Regional Organizer for the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) for five years & is the Judges’ Secretary for the East Anglian Federation (EAF) of Photographic Societies in Great Britain. He is also an A panel judge and a sponsored lecturer for Paper Spectrum. Jonathan tutors for the RPS and online photo clubs that operate predominantly in North America, running processing method workshops most weeks. He is an affiliate of DxO Labs, the software developer, & Wex Photo Video for everything camera. He is always busy somewhere in the world of camera clubs & photography.
Jonathan’s image making started out as photographing anything. Now he uses the camera to create what he sees as wall art. Multiple exposures along with some sort of camera distortion appears in almost all of his work. He polishes the results in Photoshop & an image does not exist until it’s printed so he is helping keep the ink and paper industry alive. Jonathan finds enjoyment from engaging with every image. He works with thoughts, concepts & projects. For him, it’s not about capturing the moment but it’s about visualization & being able to deliver that in print.

Explore Jonathan’s WEBSITE to explore his world.
This will be a paid event for non-members with a $10 donation. For non-members interested in attending, please register by making your $10 donation at https://store.berksphotographic.org/product/club-donation/.

November 25, 2024 at 7:00 PM: BPS Member Photo Competition Night “Best of the Year” with Henry Rowan as judge
2024-11-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
November 25, 2024 at 7:00 PM: BPS Member Photo Competition Night “Best of the Year” with the wonderful Henry Rowan of the PA Center For Photography returning for the fifth year in a row to judge & critique this event. Henry’s image reviews are so educational & inspiring. The top 15 BPS images from 2024 as chosen by Henry will represent BPS in the 2025 International Michael Day Competition.
BPS will again participate in the friendly Michael Day competition with an international group of photography clubs. The other clubs for this year’s event included the Chalfonts & Gerrards Cross Camera Club of the UK, Photo Club Vision of Finland, the Auckland Photographic Society from New Zealand & Fotoincontro Associazione from Italy along with us. BPS & Chalfonts & Gerrards Cross Camera Club of the UK began this event in 2007. Learn all of the history in a future Newsletter.
Visit Henry’s website HERE.

“Photographing the Figure in the Landscape and Abandoned Spaces & Incorporating Textures to Create Digital and 3-D Collaged Images”
2024-12-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Goggle Works Suite 326
December 2, 2024 at 7:00 PM: Rebecca Carpenter presents “Photographing the Figure in the Landscape and Abandoned Spaces & Incorporating Textures to Create Digital and 3-D Collaged Images”.
Rebecca (Becky) will show images from her photo shoots in a variety of backgrounds (desert, ocean, rainforest, mountains, as well as a variety of abandoned spaces) and talk about the many ways to create strong images with a figure in those environments. She will explore ways of using the natural light available or easy to transport lights to add light to the scene, as well as suggesting ways to create strong compositions and tell a compelling story.

Becky has created many digital textures and will also demonstrate ways to “age” a photograph or create vintage digital collage effects with the images, as well as transferring photographs to other surfaces to create a 3-D collage.

December 16, 2024 at 7:00 PM: BPS Member Annual General Meeting
2024-12-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid

Vince Pellegrini will teach us about “Focus Stacking and Some Other Neat Things”
2025-01-06 19:00 - 21:00
January 6, 2025 at 7:00 PM: Vince Pellegrini will teach us about “Focus Stacking and Some Other Neat Things”
Vince Pellegrini will talk about his use of focus stacking from beginning to end.
Vince has been using creative focus stacking in a different way than it is typically applied to large landscape scenes & macro work. Specifically, he uses this technique with a wide aperture to control the depth of field for images with complex backgrounds resulting in precise subject isolation & beautiful bokeh. Both manual & in-camera automatic techniques will be reviewed in detail along with his workflow in Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop & the Helicon Focus app.
In this example, the scene on the left required a single aperture setting of f/22 in order to have the green & white moss “acceptably” sharp front to back. However, at that f/stop, the background was too much in near-focus & was very distracting. The dim forest light was also an issue. The image on the right resulted from combining 25 images at f/2.8 while eliminating the remaining 21 captures thus stopping the final image focus in post exactly where desired.

Total sequence:

If time allows, Vince will also review some other neat & practical topics. These might include a follow up of Jonathan Vaines’ recent BPS talk, such as building a diptych or more in Adobe Lightroom & in-camera multiple exposure “coloration” which came up during the Q/A as well as some Adobe Lightroom processing tips.
See examples of Vince’s work on Instagram at @vincentapellegrini. Come join us.

Huibo Huo will present “The Power of Simplicity in Black and White Landscape Photography
2025-01-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
– January 20, 2025 at 7:00 PM: Huibo Huo will present “The Power of Simplicity in Black and White Landscape Photography”
Huibo Hou (https://www.huibohou.com), is a landscape photographer based in San Diego, California. She fell in love with photography about 26 years ago as a hobbyist while working in the wireless communication industry. Then life took her in different directions, and she had to set aside her photography pursuit for quite some time. In early 2015, she rekindled her love for photography and gradually became more serious about the craft. Her work has been recognized internationally in recent years with multiple awards and publications. Landscape photography, especially in black and white, is the art medium that she is passionate about. It serves as her creative outlet to express how she observes, interprets, and connects with nature.
Huibo’s presentation, “The Power of Simplicity in Black and White Landscape Photography” will give us a view into her beautiful images. The power of black and white images is often rooted in their simplicity. Huibo’s favorite type of black and white landscape images are the clean, simple ones with just a few essential elements in each frame, leaving space for viewers to imagine and contemplate. In this presentation, she will delve deep into a few ideas and techniques in seeking such simplicity, both in the field and during the postprocessing. Topics include: seeing and composing with essential elements; using long exposure to aid simplicity and create mood; managing tones and textures in post-processing. Whether you are an exploring beginner or an experienced photographer, this presentation can inspire you towards creating impactful black and white landscape images.

Betsy Wilson will share “A Different Point of View”
2025-02-03 19:00 - 21:00 | ZOOM
– February 3, 2025 at 7:00 PM: Betsy Wilson will share “A Different Point of View”
Looking to enhance your images with an unusual or interesting new look? Need some ideas to jumpstart a photo slump or spark some new creativity? Join us as presenter Betsy Wilson shows us some new twists to spark ideas to make your images look different than the ordinary.
A different point of view can be quite literal, such as shooting from up high or down low, or it can mean making use of other tools such as creative depth-of-field or specialty lenses. Or maybe, it is when we, the photographer, look at our subject, or even ourselves, in a different way. Many images and techniques will be shared to enrich any photographer’s portfolio of new and very different ways to add some “wow” to images.
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 claims 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 in Pennsylvania, 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 has given numerous presentations for camera clubs around the country. You can see more of her images at Betsy and Jim’s website www.LetsCaptureTheMoment.com
Watch the presentation in person on the big screen in Suite 326 at the GoggleWorks, or join from home. To request the link to join from home go to https://store.berksphotographic.org/product/club-donation/ . For this meeting a donation (for non-members) is accepted but not required.

Tim Peterman will give a presentation on “Portraiture”
2025-02-17 19:00 - 21:00
– February 17, 2025 at 7:00 PM: Tim Peterman will give a presentation on “Portraiture”
Tim Peterman will be presenting a talk on photographing portraits, demonstrating the use of a light meter to get the proper exposure, the use of up to three lighting set ups, and also use of a reflector fill. He may introduce some use of color gels. Tim will discuss camera settings and types of lights that he uses, from small flash units to large studio units as well as the use of different flash modifiers. He will also demonstrate the use of different types of backgrounds and how to attach them to a background stand.
Tim has been an award winning photographer for the past 30 + years, starting out part-time taking photographs for the North Penn YMCA and also working with a Wedding Photographer in Lansdale. Tim is a 1990 graduate of The New York Institute of Photography. Now retired from the corporate industry of photography where Tim photographed Portraits, Sporting Events and Corporate Events, High School Seniors, Models and Concerts, Tim still keeps up his photography skills by teaching, and creating photography projects to keep his skills honed. Tim has now focused some of his time with Landscape and Wildlife photography. Tim makes his home in Telford, Pa. with his wife Patti of 36 years. Tim has two children and has one grandson. Tim is the training co-organizer and active member of High End Imaging group in Allentown. He is a lifetime member, and Hall of Fame member of the International Freelance Photographer Organization (IFPO), and is an American International News Service Correspondent Photographer and Picture Stock Worldwide Inc contributor.
Tim has photographed several Army Navy football games and has had five photographs published in a book called “Gettysburg 1863 Seething Hell”.
Check out Tim’s work at https://timpetermanphoto.com/
Tim will be with us in person in Suite 326 at the GoggleWorks. You can also join from home via Zoom. This will be a paid event for non-members with a $10 donation. For non-members interested in attending, please register by making your $10 donation at https://store.berksphotographic.org/product/club-donation/.

David Day “Creative Intentional Camera Movement”
2025-03-03 19:00 - 21:00
March 3, 2025 at 7:00 PM: David Day will give a presentation entitled “ICM in the Studio…..A Different Approach to Creating Abstract Images”

David Day resides in Flat Rock, NC. His interest in fine art monochrome and infrared photography began in Connecticut during the 1990’s. During that time, he utilized traditional photographic and darkroom techniques to produce New England themed images such as light houses and revolution era landmarks.

After moving to North Carolina in 2014, David took several years off from exhibiting his work to focus on developing a new form of abstract photography. From a happy accident that occurred one afternoon in his studio, he found that application of intentional camera movement techniques to simple still-life subjects such as string, wire, leaves, weeds, and tissue paper produced abstract images that were completely different from images produced by other ICM photographers.

His early ICM experiments resulted in new techniques and images that have earned a variety of innovation and recognition awards including ‘Artist of the Year’ at the Northern Light Gallery in Albuquerque, NM. His work has also been featured in several local and regional magazines as well as a number of on-line exhibitions and publications.

At present, David’s focus is on production of ICM images utilizing plastic bags, tissue paper, newsprint and glass objects as subject matter. He has produced a number of YouTube videos to teach his methods to others and coordinates an on-line collective of over 3,500 members to further the development of abstract ICM-generated photography. https://ddayicmart.com/
Join us at the GoggleWorks, or request a Zoom link to join online at https://store.berksphotographic.org/product/club-donation/ . For this meeting a donation (for non-members) is accepted but not required.

Dan Oleski “Fine Art of Automobiles and Close-up Details”
2025-03-17 19:00 - 21:00
– March 17, 2025 at 7:00 PM: Dan Oleski will give a talk on “From Film to Digital, a Former Photojournalist Drives into Automotive Photography”
Local Photographer, Dan Oleski, will talk about his freelance photography work in Lancaster and Philadelphia. He will share samples of his photographs which include: Sports, macro photography, rock and roll, street photography and more.
Dan will talk about using social media to see how his current work resonates with a larger audience and his experience in exhibiting his automotive photography at juried art shows for the past four years.
Dan graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a BA in Art and a concentration in photography. His career started in photojournalism where he covered assignments for The Lancaster Newspapers, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Forbes, Success and various advertising agencies and public relations firms. He’s enjoyed several photo essays in the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sunday magazine, as well as covering rock and roll concerts for the Spectrum in the early 1990s.
See some of Dan’s amazing work at https://clic.com/collections/dan-oleski Or follow him on Instagram @Danopod.
This will be a paid event for non-members with a $10 donation. For non-members interested in attending, please register by making your $10 donation at https://store.berksphotographic.org/product/club-donation/.

Valerie Hoffman “Garden Photography”
2025-04-07 19:00 - 21:00
– April 7, 2025 at 7:00 PM: Valerie Hoffman will share her insights on “Garden Photography”
Valerie Hoffman loves photography AND gardens! This photography educator who has led many Photo Treks and workshops is also a member of BPS. Valerie cannot remember a time in her life when photography was not a passion. From a very young age, she began taking pictures and learning the fundamentals of photography. This passion led her to pursue a degree in photography, as well as embark on a career in the photographic retail world. For more than 25 years I worked in the industry, selling photographic equipment and helping customers with their photographic needs. In 2009, she began teaching private photography lessons, then group classes and workshops.She loves sharing her 40+ years of photographic knowledge and helping inspire people to take their photography skills to deeper and more creative levels.
Valerie describes her presentation this way, “Spring is here (in April, of course:), and for those who love to capture the beauty of flowers in bloom, there’s no better time than now to head out to a local garden and create some beautiful images. And the best part is that here in PA, we have a ton of great places to visit. They don’t call the Greater Philadelphia area America’s Garden Capital for nothing!
Even for those who are less inclined to photograph flowers, their variety and bold colors provide a great opportunity for some creative images.
Join me as I take you on a journey through some of my favorite local gardens. We will discuss the best times to visit for different blooms, best conditions, along with tips on gear, composition, camera settings and more!”

John Barclay will present “Through the Lens of Love”
2025-04-21 19:00 - 21:00
April 21, 2025 at 7:00 PM: John Barclay will present “Through the Lens of Love”

John Barclay says, “If you are like me, you’ve probably chased after images, even images you might have seen searching for inspiration on social media. You may have even created a checklist to be sure you got exactly what you planned for. You have likely gone out with expectations only to be disappointed when the conditions were not right, or you did not find what you had hoped for.

Realizing that photography is a creative art form, I am constantly exploring new ways to connect with my subject. Over the last few years, I have been learning to fall in love with rather than just photograph what I am drawn to. Love? Really? What does love have to do with it? That is what this presentation will disclose. How does the love of my subjects influence my photography? It boils down to this — I photograph what makes my heart sing!

In this presentation, I will share stories and my thoughts from a 20 year journey to where I now look through the lens of love. I hope you will join me.”

John Barclay is an award winning freelance photographer based in Bucks County, PA.
John is a passionate photographer, enthusiastic workshop leader and inspirational
speaker, presenting his programs to audiences around the world. John is an Ambassador for Maven Filters and Lensbaby, and, well known, for his Topaz Webinars. John’s work has been published in a number of books and magazines, including the highly esteemed Lenswork Magazine, and is treasured by a number of private collectors.
Recently, Johnwas the recipient of an excellence award from B&W Magazine, had his B&W Aurorafolio featured in Lenswork. John was chosen by Dewitt Jones to participate in his www.healingimages.org program. You can learn more about John, his work, and, view his workshop schedule at www.barclayphoto.com

Mike Moats “The Properly Equipped Macro Photographer”
2025-05-19 19:00 - 21:00
May 19, 2025 at 7:00 PM: Mike Moats will present “The Properly Equipped Macro Photographer”
Being a properly equipped macro photographer is not just about the equipment, but also equipping yourself with the how-to knowledge of macro photography. Mike will cover the most important equipment for macro photography, how to control depth of field, composition, and finding character in your subjects.
Mike Moats is an international award-winning full time pro macro photographer from Michigan. He is a Tamron Image Master, Vanguard Pro, and his articles and images have been published in many photo magazines for over 15 years. He has a Macro Photo Club online with over 2,800 members, from 29 countries. Mike teaches workshops and speaks at photo conferences throughout the US.
https://www.mikemoats.com/
This will be a paid event for non-members with a $10 donation. For non-members interested in attending, please register by making your $10 donation at https://store.berksphotographic.org/product/club-donation/.

Dutch Bagley “NYC Photography”
2025-06-02 19:00 - 21:00
June 2, 2025 at 7:00 PM: Dutch Bagley will share his perspective on “The Awe of Capturing Architecture”

Dutch says, “Photographing a city’s architecture is an enriching experience that allows you to capture the essence and character of urban landscapes. It is essential to identify the purpose of your photography. Are you aiming to capture the historical essence of the buildings, create a portfolio for architectural firms, or simply explore the aesthetic aspects of the structures? Knowing your purpose will guide your approach and the type of shots you seek.

Watch along as I demonstrate my process to identify, capture and create the types of images that, to my great fortune, have been accepted into international competitions.”

Dutch’s photographic education is a self-taught one, exploring all aspects of image making. When capturing an image, Dutch tries to see the final result, ‘before’ pressing the shutter. He believes that what we observe, feel and experience, forms the core of one’s life’s story. Part of his story is reflected in photographic images taken in an instant of time, in his world, that here and now. The act of processing those images allows him to express how deeply, either with awe, joy or sadness, those moments in time have affected him. His images are how he tells his story.

He has been photographing for his pleasure since the 1970’s with large format cameras and some film and DSLR’s. In 2014 he joined his first camera club, which evolved into becoming a member of many other clubs and photographic organizations, entered national competitions and made photographic presentations to local clubs. His favorite subjects are: architecture primarily in NYC, abandoned buildings and single exposure intentional camera movement.

See Dutch’s work at https://www.photographsbydutch.net/

Frank Smith “Travel Photography Near and Far”
2025-06-16 19:00 - 21:00
June 16, 2025 at 7:00 PM: Frank T. Smith will present “Travel Photography Near and Far”

Travel photography is more than just capturing beautiful locations—it’s about telling the story of a place through light, composition, and timing. In this engaging presentation, OM System Ambassador and seasoned travel photographer Frank T. Smith shares his approach to capturing the essence of both distant destinations and local landscapes.
With a passion for outdoor exploration, Frank has traveled across the globe, photographing diverse environments—from icy tundras to tropical coastlines and everything in between. Through his imagery and insights, he will discuss the key elements of travel photography, including planning, lighting, composition, and the patience required to adapt to ever-changing conditions.

Whether traveling to an iconic landmark or discovering hidden gems close to home, he emphasizes the importance of timing, adaptability, and understanding the capabilities of your gear.

Join us as Frank shares his techniques, experiences, and stunning visuals from his travel photography adventures, inspiring you to see the world—both near and far—through your own lens.

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.View Frank’s website at www.franksmithphotos.com.

If you are not able to join us in Suite 326 at the GoggleWorks, you can watch the presentation from home via Zoom.

This will be a paid event for non-members with a $10 donation. For non-members interested in attending, please register by making your $10 donation at https://store.berksphotographic.org/product/club-donation/.

Bill Coughlin “Infrared Photography”
2025-09-08 19:00 - 21:00
September 8, 2025 at 7:00 PM: Bill Coughlin will present “Infrared Photography”

Photography has been a hobby of Bill’s for over 50 years. He remembers his first camera – a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye that used 620 Roll Film! That camera got him hooked on photography and over the next several decades he used various Canon, Nikon, and Fuji cameras. His first ‘real’ camera was a Canon FTb, full manual exposure of course. Bill is a Wisconsin native and he and his family moved to Pennsylvania in 1983. His first digital camera was the Sony Mavica MVC-FD5 which used a 3.5 inch floppy disk as the recording media! The image resolution was 640×480. With compression the floppy could store between 20 and 40 images!

With 4 children and 13 grandchildren, he has thousands of family pictures with many prints stored in boxes. His long-term project is to digitally scan all of them and share with his family.

Bill’s photographic journey includes many different photographic genres including macro, landscapes, portraits, a few weddings, travel, black and white, and infrared. He was introduced to infrared photography when his uncle used Infrared photos to tell the health of crops on his farm. The Infrared Camera could ‘see’ what the naked eye couldn’t see and that inspired Bill to experiment with various infrared filters and post processing techniques. According to Bill there is beauty to be found in unique and surreal infrared images captured with light from beyond the visible light spectrum.
On September 8th Bill will be giving a presentation on Infrared Photography. He will be discussing the light spectrum, options for IR photography, external filters, issues with various lenses, examples of IR photos using different filters, and his infrared photography post processing workflow.

In addition to serving as the Financial Secretary for BPS for the past five years, he is also Chairman of the Community Outreach and Engagement Committee. He coordinates getting volunteer photographers for various events held by non-profit organizations. Bill looks forward to sharing his Infrared Images and IR photographic techniques with you on September 8th.

UNCHAINED - Wildlife Photography For The Timid and The Brave presented by Mollie Isaacs of Awake The Light Photo Workshops
2025-09-15 19:00 - 21:00
September 15, 2025 at 7:00 PM: Mollie Issacs will present “Put More Life In Your Wildlife Photography”
Photographing animals, birds, and other wildlife can be exciting and rewarding. With the right techniques and a little knowledge, your wildlife photography can soar! Join Mollie Isaacs for this eye-opening peek into the finer points of getting the images you strive for. You’ll learn some pro tips and tricks that will elevate your wildlife and bird photography to a higher level. This program is educational, inspirational, and fun! You will come away with fresh ideas and a renewed enthusiasm for all the photography you love.
Mollie Isaacs is a professional photographer who specializes in Nature, Wildlife, Flowers, Birds, and Abstracts. She is passionate about photography, and loves to share that passion by teaching others. Early in her career she studied with Ansel Adams and Joyce Tenneson. She has won the Kodak Gallery Award 14 times, considered by some to be the “Oscar” of photography. Her work is in the Permanent Collection of the International Photography Hall of Fame, and has been exhibited at Epcot Center in Disney World, and Grand Central Terminal in NYC. She runs Awake The Light Photo Workshops & Tours, offers online Webinars, and personally leads photo workshops around the country and beyond. Read more about her and see her work on www.awakethelight.com.

This will be a paid event for non-members with a $10 donation. For non-members interested in attending, please register by making your $10 donation at https://store.berksphotographic.org/product/club-donation/.

Ginnie Lodge “Still Life Photography”
2025-10-06 19:00 - 21:00
10/6/25 Ginnie Lodge “Still Life Photography”
follow up hands on session Oct 11th
https://ginnielodge.com/

“How AI is changing Photography!” by Bert Sirkin
2025-10-20 19:00 - 21:00
October 20, 2025 at 7:00 PM: “How AI is changing Photography!” by Bert Sirkin

Bert Sirkin describes his presentation this way, “Photography is undergoing a paradigm shift. AI changes everything – from camera capabilities to editing to generative AI. The future of photography as an artform is open to those who learn to use all the tools available to them. Learn how AI can help you increase your photographic creative potential.

I will explain, in simple terms, how AI works, what you can do with AI and how you can combine AI with the tools and skills we already have as photographers.

I will present perspectives you may not have yet have thought of. I will show you some of the more useful AI options available to photographers today. Gain valuable insights into the diverse applications of AI, including the groundbreaking AI features in Photoshop, alongside a range of other cutting-edge AI tools. We’ll look at how these tools can be combined to open up a whole new world of creativity.”

Bert Sirkin apprenticed at with a Professional Photographer in Boston when he was 18 years old and has done part-time Professional Photography since he was 19 years old. He’s taught various photography topics since 1970 and has spent 10 years teaching workshops in Everglades NP, Joshua Tree NP & Monument Valley Tribal park. He taught various computer programming languages at Capital Community Technical college in Hartford, CT for 20 years. He currently teaches online photography workshops and frequently speaks to photography groups.

This will be a paid event for non-members with a $10 donation. For non-members interested in attending, please register by making your $10 donation at https://store.berksphotographic.org/product/club-donation/.

Tom and Meg Stoeri “A Photographing Experience from Scotland to Iceland"
2025-11-03 19:00 - 21:00
Long time BPS members Tom and Meg Stoeri say, “Join us as we present our experience as photographers on an expedition small ship cruise exploring the North Atlantic from the Orkney islands of Scotland through the Faroe Islands and on to circumnavigate Iceland by sea. From a neolithic settlement, through isolated but enduring small island villages, to new land being created in Iceland, we encountered challenging and unique photographing opportunities. All with the North Atlantic weather as a backdrop. It was memorable and we would love to present it to you.”

Ray Schneider “Visual Time Travel”
2025-11-17 19:00 - 21:00
November 17, 2025 at 7:00 PM: Ray Schneider will present “Visual Time Travel:How to Take Your Viewers on a Trip”

Explore how to compose pictures that draw the viewer in and that conjure a story in the mind.
Storytelling is a popular genre in the visual arts, but Ray Schneider will help participants do more than just tell stories with photographs. In addition to reviewing the core tenets of composition he will explore how composing pictures that are relatable, that evoke emotions, engage the viewer empathically and contain classic visual archetypes, dramatically increases the likelihood that the picture will take the viewer on a trip through their consciousness, past, present and future. The stronger this connection can be the more interesting and memorable the photograph will be.
During this presentation Ray will share pictures from a variety of genres including landscape, street photography and more. And he will offer ideas which come from the world of composition, perception, and cognitive psychology, for creating more impactful pictures.
Ray Schneider is a freelance photographer whose images span numerous genres including portrait, street, landscape, garden, animals, and events. An avid traveler, his images come from over 30 countries. He has published a book entitled What the Photographer Sees, available on Amazon and recently received a Portfolio Merit Award from Black and White Magazine. He teaches photography workshops and is also a speaker at camera clubs across the country.
Prior to becoming a professional photographer, Ray travelled the country as an operations management consultant. He is a recognized expert in process, quality and operations improvement consulting, with deep experience across a broad range of industries.
For Ray, seeing like a photographer is to perceive well. It’s creating images that are more than pretty pictures — hopefully — and that trigger the viewer’s inner-voice, that suggest a story, that evolve in the consciousness as they’re viewed, that invite a sense of curiosity, that cause one to pause and maybe take a closer look. www.rayschneiderphotography.com

This will be a paid event for non-members with a $10 donation. For non-members interested in attending, please register by making your $10 donation at https://store.berksphotographic.org/product/club-donation/.
