“Taking your bird and wildlife photography to the next level”
2023-10-16 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | 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.

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/.
