February 20, 2023: Matt Payne will present “Methods for Tapping Into Your Creativity” in a hybrid Zoom session.
2023-02-20 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
February 20, 2023: Matt Payne will present “Methods for Tapping Into Your Creativity” in a hybrid Zoom session.
By focusing on what speaks to us as a person in the field, we can hone in on what makes photography an incredible creative pursuit in a more consistent way without using rules or tropes. Using some of Matt’s own images, he will walk through his process of self-expression & the techniques he uses to maximize his ability to capture stunning moments in nature.

Matt Payne is a mountain climber as well as a fine art nature & landscape photographer living in Durango, Colorado. In 2018, Matt completed his life-long goal of climbing the highest 100 mountains in Colorado, where his love of photography was kindled. Since 2017, Matt has hosted a weekly podcast dedicated to nature photography called “F-Stop Collaborate and Listen”. Matt is also the co-founder ofNature First Photography, an organization that was created in 2018 to help increase ethical awareness in nature photography – see more on this below. Lastly, Matt is the co-creator of theNatural Landscape Photography Awards, an international photography competition begun in 2021 which rewards & celebrates nature photographers who dedicate themselves to photographing & editing their work in a realistic fashion.
Learn more about Matt & his work at mattpaynephotography.com & be sure to check out his podcast “F-Stop Collaborate and Listen”.
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/. At checkout, please specify “Matt Payne – February 20” in the order box. Once BPS receives your donation, your pass will be emailed to you.

March 20, 2023: Alan Ross will do a hybrid Zoom presentation titled “The Magic of Black-and-White”.
2023-03-20 08:00 - 17:00
March 20, 2023: Alan Ross will do a hybrid Zoom presentation titled “The Magic of Black-and-White”.
Alan feels that black-and-white, by its very nature, is an abstraction of “reality”. A sky can be light or dark without looking wrong. Colors can be skewed without anything looking wrong. But with color, unless doing something clearly wild, there is an expectation of “reality”. A green sky or purple skin just looks wrong! This abstraction quality of black-and-white provides a freedom of creativity & expression that has captivated Alan since his very first forays into photography. Although Alan has done a lot of color in his career & has some things that he’s thrilled to have done, in the end, it seems black-and-white is always what grabs him.
Join Alan as he shares with us how he “sees” in black-and-white, explores what makes a successful black-and-white image & shows us his favorite tips & techniques for converting images to black-and-white for a tonally rich final image.
Using his vast portfolio of exquisite black-and-white images, Alan will walk us through the magic of black-and-white, including: What makes a successful & compelling black-and-white image; How to use the colors in a scene to interpret & express the feelings you want to convey; Creating this magic with film or pixels…using filters for film & a range of conversion options from digital captures; Simplifying post-processing & learning why many do-it-for-you black-and-white conversion applications may not be the best option. If time allows, Alan will use one or two BPS member images to demonstrate his approach to post-processing that emphasizes interpreting shapes, colors, textures & relationships in a scene.

Alan Ross is an internationally respected master photographer & educator who worked side-by-side with Ansel Adams as his photographic assistant. He knows Adams’ approach & technique perhaps better than any other photographer today. He also continues to be the exclusive printer of the Yosemite Special Edition negatives, an assignment Adams selected him for personally in 1975. Alan makes each print by hand from Adams’ original negatives using traditional darkroom techniques.

As an artist, Alan is best known for his tonally exquisite black-and-white photographs of the American west. His photographs hang in collections & galleries around the world. As a photographic educator, he specializes in helping photographers realize & express their photographic vision at any skill level & using all formats & styles.
Alan lives in visually captivating Santa Fe, where he pursues his own work, teaches one-on-one & small-group workshops in the art of seeing & master printing, & writes articles & blogs sharing his vast knowledge of the art & craft of photography. Learn more about Alan & see his work at www.alanrossphotography.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/. At checkout, please specify “Alan Ross March 20” in the order box. Once BPS receives your donation, your pass will be emailed to you.

April 17, 2023: John Barclay will do a hybrid Zoom presentation titled “Dream - Believe - Create”.
2023-04-17 19:00 - 21:00
April 17, 2023: John Barclay will do a hybrid Zoom presentation titled “Dream – Believe – Create”.

John states: There was a time when I felt I could not create anything. My self-talk was – I am not a creative person, I’m not smart enough, I can’t do this. After seeing images projected at the first workshop I took, I dreamed of becoming a good photographer. Primarily with the help of well known, accomplished photographers, I was able to chip away at the negative self-talk & believe that I could create worthwhile images. Thus “Dream – Believe – Create” has become the centerpiece of what I teach in my workshops. I believe that everyone has dreams & can achieve their dreams if they would just believe they could. I also know that when you truly believe, you will be liberated to be able to create.
He continues: The process & journey required to create images feeds my soul & brings me great joy. My goal in this presentation is to inspire you to capture the essence of the subjects you are drawn to using the creative medium of photography. This might entail capturing a small intimate portion of a scene. It might involve more creative techniques, such as multiple exposures, the “slide sandwich” or camera movement for a more expressive interpretation. I will also touch on the digital darkroom and how having a keen understanding of the plethora of technology can help you achieve your artistic vision. Numerous examples will be shown which include traditional nature scenes as well as more abstract & urban compositions. We will explore the beauty in both the grand scale as well as more intimate details. The ideas presented in this program have application to any genre of photography.
I believe, like Ansel Adams, that photographers bring to their images their own journeys, their perspective of the world, their experiences & their passions. For me, photography is simply another medium of artistic expression, visual poetry if you will.
My hope is that after spending time together you will leave inspired to create images that rise above the ordinary & make your heart sing!

John Barclay is an award winning freelance photographer based in Bucks County, PA. John is a passionate photographer, enthusiastic workshop leader & inspirational speaker, presenting his programs to audiences around the world. John is an Ambassador for Singh-Ray Filters, Lensbaby, & well known for his Topaz Webinars. John’s work has been published in a number of books & magazines & is treasured by a number of private collectors. Recently, John was the recipient of an excellence award from B&W Magazine & was chosen by Dewitt Jones to participate in his www.healingimages.orgprogram. “John Barclay is one heck of a photographer, both creatively & technically. Beyond & above that however, John is one of the best teachers on the planet.” stated Dewitt Jones, the acclaimed professional photographer from National Geographic. You can learn more about John, his work & view his workshop schedule at www.barclayphoto.com & https://linktr.ee/barclayphoto, & follow John on Instagram & Facebook at johnbarclayphoto.
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/. At checkout, please specify “John Barclay – April 17” in the order box. Once BPS receives your donation, your pass will be emailed to you.

May 15, 2023: Oliver Wright comes to BPS from England & will do a hybrid Zoom presentation titled “What I’ve Been Doing in the Last 12 Months”.
2023-05-15 19:00 - 21:00
May 15, 2023: Oliver Wright comes to BPS from England & will do a hybrid Zoom presentation titled “What I’ve Been Doing in the Last 12 Months”.

During his talk, Oliver will take us through his last year or so of photographic travels, projects & adventures. There will be a mix of wildlife & macro from the UK as well as landscapes, wildlife & aurora photography from North Sweden (basically anything Oliver has been shooting). He will review some of the different techniques he uses in his photography, particularly his focus stacking process. Oliver will go through the highlights, the lessons learnt & how he got his images.

Oliver has been a professional photographer for 8 years after an extensive corporate career in project management. He has always had a keen interest in nature & has been an avid outdoors person. He had been part of the British Climbing Team & hasclimbed/mountaineered globally, from the European Alps to the Andes. An injury blunted his climbing activities & he turned to photography to fill a void. Photography has become a huge passion. Oliver particularly loves aurora & landscape but also enjoys wildlife, macro, architectural & people photography. He has photographed the Northern Lights in Sweden, Norway, Finland & Iceland.
During the autumn/winter, Oliver works guiding clients to view & photograph aurora & arctic landscapes in Abisko, North Sweden for a company named Lights Over Lapland. Then in the summer he concentrates on his own projects & guiding macro workshops in the UK & abroad. Oliver has worked closely with Canon for 6 years, talking at some major photography events such as Bird Fair & The Photography Show. In 2020, Canon launched its new RF 100mm Macro L lens & decided to use Oliver & his macro work as their promotional material for this lens. His work has been published many times in a wide range of publications, all the way from Grand Designs magazine to BBC Wildlife & The Times. He is one of only a few photographers who have managed to get images included in the prestigious British Wildlife Photography Award for 6 consecutive years. Additionally, Oliver is one of the judges for the BBC wildlife photographic competition (the winning entries are used for the BBC Countryfile charity calendar).
You can explore Oliver’s work at: www.oliverwrightphotography.com, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube & Instagram. Check out his fabulous starling murmuration images & videos. This is how I first found out about him.
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/. At checkout, please specify “Oliver Wright – May 15” in the order box. Once BPS receives your donation, your pass will be emailed to you.

"Creative Use of Flash"
2023-09-11 19:00 - 21:00 | Goggle Works Suite 326
“Creative Use of Flash” presented by BPS member (and president) Bob Gross

“In Nature’s Embrace”
2023-09-18 19:00 - 21:00
September 18, 2023 at 7 PM: Xuan Hui Ng will present “In Nature’s Embrace” from Japan details to follow

"Film is not dead, in fact it is very much alive and growing...and is FUN...!!! presented by BPS member Ken Martin
2023-10-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Goggle Works Suite 326
“Film is not dead, in fact it is very much alive and growing!!” A discussion of the many aspects of shooting film: where to buy film and cameras, the types of film you can use, developing equipment and chemicals for both B&W and color, slide and motion picture film. Also, how to get your negatives printed with the use of a scanner. Best of all, you can do all this at home without a darkroom!!

“Taking your bird and wildlife photography to the next level”
2023-10-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
Simon d’Entremont will present “Taking your Bird and Wildlife Photography to the Next Level” via Zoom from Canada in a hybrid session. This talk is thanks to a major donation from Dr. and Mrs. Leigh Reeves.
Simon will go over some of his top tips about wildlife photography, including gear, settings, field techniques & strategies for pretty pictures. He will also cover his post processing.
Ever since he was a youngster, Simon has been interested in wildlife & nature, & curious about the world in which we live. His personal interest in the natural world, wildlife, astronomy & science always kept him looking around at the wonders of the universe & our natural environment. From our enormous Milky Way galaxy to the smallest bird, Simon marvels at its natural beauty.
With the advent of the digital camera came a way to capture this beauty & the adventure of capturing it became a way to explore his beautiful home province of Nova Scotia. Whether by staying up late to watch the constellations rise one by one over the horizon while capturing the Milky Way, hiking kilometers to see a waterfall or by getting up before the break of dawn to watch birds feeding their young…mysteries abound all around us and capturing their beauty for his own enjoyment and for others to enjoy is Simon’s “me.”
What started as a hobby is now a professional career, one that Simon enjoys every day. He has recently started shooting more video & as such, started a YouTube Channel to host the videos. Members should go HERE & have a look.
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/. At checkout, please specify “Simon d’Entremont – October 16” in the order box. Once BPS receives your donation, your pass will be emailed to you.

Valerie Hoffman teaches how to photograph "Holiday Lights"
2023-12-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Goggle Works Suite 326
Valerie Hoffman will teach us how to photograph “Holiday Lights.” It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The holiday season, when colorful lights and decorations can be found all around, is a great time to challenge your photography skills and get out and shoot! For those who have never tried much beyond playing with their cellphone’s camera, this can be a daunting task. You’re photographing in the dark, the camera’s meter doesn’t want to give you a good exposure, it’s hard to see to focus, what you thought was in focus still turned out blurry… So many challenges to deal with. In this presentation we’ll talk about them all!
Join us as we view images and discuss exposure, focus, composition, other camera settings, gear and even some creative techniques. Then consider getting out and joining us as a group to put what you learned in practice. Valerie has it all planned. On Thursday, December 7, she will continue teaching with a hands on excursion to Koziar’s Christmas Village. See below for details.
Val is committed to helping photographers become better at their craft, and have fun in the process. Visit her website for her upcoming treks and other offerings at valeriehoffmanphotography.com.
– December 7, 2023 (Thursday) starting at 6 PM – Follow up instructional excursion to Koziar’s Christmas Village. Join us on Thursday, December 7th, for an “almost free” fun photowalk at Koziar’s Christmas Village in Bernville with Val there to offer help, instruction, and suggestions. Cost for the event is only $15, and needs to be paid directly to Val by Dec 6th. You can bring your money to the club meeting and holiday lights presentation on Monday December 4th. For those who will not be at the GoggleWorks that evening, you can send the money to Val using PayPal, Venmo, or the Cash app. You will still need to also pay your entrance fee to the Christmas Village which is $13 for adults or $12 for seniors.
We will meet at a designated spot prior to the village’s opening for the night, which is 6 PM. Here is a link to Koziar’s which covers all the info about the place if you have never been: koziarschristmasvillage.com
Due to the possibility of crowds and smallish walkways, and so Val can give the best instruction, we are limiting this group to only 10 people. The first 10 to contact Val and sign up are in! You can email her with questions and to get specific payment info at vahoffman22@gmail.com
She will send an email to those who register, with suggested gear and any other pertinent info.

BPS Annual Meeting - It is very important that all BPS members participate in this annual meeting.
2023-12-18 08:00 - 17:00 | Goggle Works Suite 326
BPS Annual Meeting – It is very important that all BPS members participate in this annual meeting.

Cross Polarized Light Photomicrography Demonstration presented by Ivan Bub.
2024-01-08 18:30 - 21:00
NOTE: this event has been moved back to the GoggleWorks location due to an Albright College scheduling conflict and a key participant’s health issue. Ivan will bring his equipment and have a hands-on demonstration of his cross polarized crystal photography at our GoggleWorks suite 326 location. This will be an in-person only meeting without a Zoom feed.
Meeting time will be our normal 7:00pm start with doors opening for socializing at 6:15.
We will reschedule our Albright College tour and program for later this Spring. Look for the date announcement in the newsletter, FaceBook and Meetup pages.
BPS member, Ivan Bub, is a retired family physician with a love for photography. Although he enjoys many forms of photography, his specialty is Cross Polarized Light Photomicrography. This interesting photographic technique, which allows blending Science and Art in photography involves crystallizing various substances such as Sulfur, Vitamin C, Artificial sweeteners, Salicylic Acid and Lactic Acid on a microscope slide. Using a camera attached to a microscope under cross polarized light, the crystal formations that develop are photographed, producing one-of-a-kind images, as no two slides are identical. Since retiring, Ivan has been teaching students at Albright College Total Experience Learning various photographic techniques, including crystal photomicrography, infrared photography, light painting and macro photography.

The live demonstration will take place at: Albright College Total Experience Learning facility, 1041 Rockland Street Reading PA 19604.
We will start at 6:30 PM with a tour of the facility, following with the presentation at 7 PM. This will be an “in person only” event.

Dewitt Jones will present “Making Your Art Your Life” during a hybrid zoom session from his home in Molokai, Hawaii
2024-01-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
Dewitt will share his career in photography from its beginnings to the present day. He spent 20 years with National Geographic, 10 years in advertising & writing columns for Outdoor Photographer Magazine, & another 20 years lecturing on creativity & vision. During all of this time, he created a heck of a lot of images. What has he learned from them? How has his experiences as a photographer affected his life & how he has lived it? Dewitt will share both his images & his lessons with us in a spellbinding talk.
Dewitt is possibly the most sought after international keynote speaker in photography. He has shared his message of “Celebrating What’s Right with the World!” with hundreds of colleges, associations & corporations. Everyone is urged to watch his TEDx Talk HERE prior to this session. Check out Dewitt’s WEBSITE.
As one of America’s top professional image makers, Dewitt spent 20 years as a freelance photographer for National Geographic, photographing stories all over the globe. Turning to advertising, Dewitt rose to the forefront of corporate creative marketing, photographing national advertising campaigns for Dewar’s Scotch, Canon & United Airlines. As a motion picture director, he had two documentary films nominated for Academy Awards (“Climb” – Best Live Action Short Film & “John Muir’s High Sierra” – Best Short Subject Documentary). He has published many books, including “California!”, “Visions of Wilderness”, “What The Road Passes By”, “ROBERT FROST – A Tribute to the Source”, “Canyon Country”, “John Muir’s America” & “Anasazi World”. His most recent book, “The Nature of Leadership”, was created in collaboration with Dr. Stephen R. Covey & A. Roger Merrill (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People). Dewitt’s column, Basic Jones, appeared monthly in Outdoor Photographer magazine for over 20 years. Dewitt is a cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Drama & he holds a Masters Degree in film making from UCLA.
Dewitt’s knowledge of the creative process, his relaxed and genuine style, and his ability to communicate make his presentations truly outstanding. We are very fortunate to have Dewitt speak to us.
This will be a combined session with the LNC Photo Group, the West Shore Photography Club in Mechanicsburg, PA & the Cape Fear Camera Club in Wilmington, NC. BPS welcomes our friends.

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/.

Guy Tal will present “Creativity & Expression in Photography” in a hybrid zoom session.
2024-02-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
Here is what we will experience from this talk in Guy’s own words: “Photography is a medium eminently capable of both objective representation & subjective expression. This dichotomy, although long resolved in other media, is still a subject of contention among photographers & critics. If we accept photography as a medium for expressive art, the question remains: how to use a medium designed to record realistic appearances to convey subjective & emotional meanings. In the words of Ernst Haas: how to humanize the machine.” In this talk, Guy will discuss some of the challenges faced by photographic artists today & historically. Explaining his philosophy of art & some of the science of visual expression, Guy will also discuss how photography, even in its purest forms, may express concepts beyond just representation of appearances.
Guy is a professional writer & photographic artist based in Torrey, Utah. He works primarily in the high-desert region known as the Colorado Plateau, where he lives & spends many weeks each year hiking, camping & communing with the wild landscape & its natural inhabitants. In his photographic work, Guy places emphasis on originality & personal expression rather than documentation. He is the author of several books & a regular contributor to various photographic publications.
For a sampling of Guy’s work and writings, please visit his WEBSITE or his BLOG.

Guy Tal’s talk is sponsored in large part by Cardinal Camera. A number of BPS members have purchased their gear from this fantastic, family & locally owned store. This includes Vince Pellegrini (and three of his friends), Ivan Bub, Bill Coughlin, Bert Rogers & Jim Kessel. The store was founded by George H. Seelig in 1937, one year before BPS was organized. A subsequent owner, George K. Seelig, had his roots in Reading in the 1960s at Wyomissing Corporation. Kurt Seelig now runs the business. Cardinal Camera has evolved into one of the largest volume camera stores in the US with stores in Lansdale, King of Prussia & Ephrata along with Howell, NJ & Charlotte, NC. It’s been an excellent go to resource. Thank you Kurt!
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/.

"Capturing Motion" presented by Betsy Wilson.
2024-03-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
Betsy will explore the world of motion photography through her unique perspective. A combination of traditional techniques of controlling shutter speed with some non-traditional concepts using camera motion and light-painting, Betsy’s images will inform and inspire us to try new ideas. Using your camera to capture motion in ways beyond what we see with our eyes results in endless creative possibilities.
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 now says 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 is an active member of the Chester County Camera Club, and has given numerous presentations and led workshops for area camera clubs.

BPS Member Photo Competition & Critique Night with Jonathan Vaines of the UK as judge.
2024-03-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
Jonathan will give highly skilled reviews of all the images as well as demonstrate selected image processing suggestions. Details will follow.
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 & online photo clubs that operate predominantly in North America, running processing method workshops most weeks. BPS will have a session with Jonathan in November 2024. Explore Jonathan’s WEBSITE.

Don’t forget, BPS members, that our first photo competition and image critique of the year is coming up in March. Photos must be entered by midnight on March 10. If you are wondering about sizing your images, click on the link: http://tinyurl.com/BPS-Resizing for a simple two page document to help you.

BPS member Jeff Grabert presents “South Africa Private Reserves Safari”
2024-04-01 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
BPS member Jeff Grabert presents “South Africa Private Reserves Safari”
This program will highlight photography from private reserves in South Africa. These reserves border world famous Kruger National Park and no fences keep the animals from traversing into and out of the parks. Unlike Kruger, guides can take guests off-road for very intimate sightings. Additionally, only lodge guests can be on the land so there is much less traffic and vehicle occupancy at sightings is limited. Photographic tips will be discussed as well as advice on gear, lodging, and best times to go.

Jeff says, “I am a self-taught travel photographer with a portfolio that showcases images from multiple continents and an array of subject matters. My particular focus is nature and culture. With a degree in biology, I have had a lifelong fascination with the natural world. My “Happy Place” is being on location pursuing wildlife and wilderness images. From the Serengeti to Patagonia, the scenery and wildlife may change but the feeling remains the same – being connected with the earth. It is my hope that my photography helps the viewer connect with that feeling as well.”

See Jeff’s work at www.grabertimages.com

Phil Penman will present a talk entitled “Street Photography Unfiltered” in a hybrid zoom session.
2024-04-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
Historical events are happening all around us all the time. As photographers we have an ability to be able to share stories & capture world events in real time. Learn about the thought process behind picking a subject, capturing it & getting it out into the world from one of the absolutely most respected in the genre.
The British-born, New York-based photographer Phil Penman has documented the ever-changing scene of New York City’s streets for more than 25 years. In his career as a news & magazine photographer, with a large body of work in such publications as The Guardian, The Independent, The New York Review of Books, among others, Phil has photographed major public figures & historical events. In particular, his reportage following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center has featured on NBC’s Today show, as well as on the BBC, History Channel, & Al Jazeera; his images have been included in the 9/11 Memorial & Museum & its archives. Phil’s work covering the pandemic lockdown in New York City has been acquired by the U.S. Library of Congress, whose collection holds work by such great Depression-era documentarians as Walker Evans & Dorothea Lange. Besides showing at Leica galleries in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston & London, Penman’s signature street photography has appeared in international exhibitions as far afield as Venice, Berlin & Sydney.

Phil tours theorld teaching workshops on photography for Leica Akademie.
Penman’s first book, “Street”, published in 2019, became a best-seller & was featured at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He just released his second book, “New York Street Diaries”.
Among his accolades: Phil was recently named among the “52 Most Influential Street Photographers,” alongside such legends as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sebastião Salgado, Diane Arbus & Garry Winogrand. “Voted Top 10 Street Photographers 2019” – The Phoblographer. “From astronauts on the crosswalk to young skaters shredding on high rooftops, to 30-foot-tall statues lying sideways on the back of a truck, Penman’s subjects prove there’s never a dull moment in the Big Apple” – Jenny Zhang, My Modern MET. “Top 10 Contemporary Street Photographers living today” – My Modern MET. “If the photographs themselves are stunning – by turn surprising, moving, funny & even shocking – the show’s real star is New York itself. Penman’s love of his adoptive home shines through on every page” – Grazia Magazine.

Visit Phil’s WEBSITE.
This will be a paid event for non-BPS 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 Jeff Schaeffer shares “Travel Photography – Capturing the Experience!”
2024-05-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid
BPS member Jeff Schaeffer shares “Travel Photography – Capturing the Experience!”
Jeff enjoys traveling to new places and enjoys capturing the experience to share with others. He is enthusiastic about traveling to foreign places but also enjoys traveling in the USA and exploring places near to home. In 2023, he and his wife decided to do a ‘day trip’ each week to get out, explore and shoot! Jeff will share tips and ideas that have helped him in his travel photography journey. He will also share several ideas of day trips that are within a couple of hours of home where to practice capturing our experiences to share with others.
As a follow-up to the presentation, we will schedule two ‘day trips’ this summer to get out and practice!
Jeff is a retired business intelligence and analytics IT professional. Once retired, Jeff began focusing on photography and enjoys learning and practicing all types of photography. He loves to travel and has spent about half a year in India where his passion for travel photography really grew. He has had images published in “The Hindu” – a national newspaper in India, a book “Kalarippayattu: A Holistic Martial Art from India” published in Poland and on signs and advertisements throughout India.

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 | 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.
