Berks Photographic Society

April 6 2026 -- TBA
2026-04-06 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
TBA

April 11, 2026 Green Hills Nature Preserve Sunrise
2026-04-11 06:00 - 08:00
April 11, 2026 Green Hills Nature Preserve Sunrise – meet in the parking lot at 6:00 AM for 6:31AM sunrise. Rain date April 18, 2026 meet at 5:50 AM for 6:21 AM sunrise. Led by Vince Pellegrini

April 20, 2026 at 7:00 PM: Mark Battista will present “Composition: Shooting With Intent”
2026-04-20 19:00 - 21:00
Why do certain images grab attention, make us think or make us feel emotion in a deep way? Often, it is due to the underlying compositional structure within an image. Mark Battista, artist and fine art photographer, will share his insight on composition to create images that tell a story, effectively communicate an idea & express an emotion. The intentional arrangement of visual elements into a unified, impactful whole is key. When it comes to visual composition, intent is a crucial element. It means making deliberate choices regarding what you include & exclude in your images & how to arrange them. Come explore ways of taking your photography to a whole new level through the use of compositional strategies to create more visually impactful images. Mark’s years of training & working as a painter has influenced how he arranges elements in his photographic images. Discover ways of composing inspired by master painters of the past & learn how to apply those skills to your photographic imagery. Topics covered will include the elements of art; line; shape; color; value; principles of design; creating a focal point through contrast of tone, color or area of focus; point of view/framing a subject; balance & visual weight vs. “rules”.

Mark Battista is a painter & fine art photographer specializing in portrait & still life photography and living in Connecticut. He graduated from Paier College of Art with a B.F.A. & received an M.S. in art education from S.C.S.U. He recently retired from teaching art after 35 years. He is a sought-after speaker who has presented across the US & abroad bringing insight & inspiration to painters & photographers. Mark’s artwork & photography has been internationally recognized & has won awards from organizations such as the Salmagundi Art Club in NYC, the New York Center For Photographic Arts, the American Artists Professional League & the CT Watercolor Society. He recently won the Grand Prize & the Second Place in an international exhibit through nyc4pa. Mark is represented by the Salmagundi Club in NYC. Mark recently published two eBooks titled “The Art of Still Life Photography” & “Composition: Shooting With Intent” which fosters the creation of images with impact and meaning.
Website:
www.markbattista.com

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/m16battista

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/.

May 2, 2026 Intro to Digital Photography Workshops - Part One
2026-05-02 09:00 - 15:00
Intro to Digital Photography Workshops
Once again BPS will be offering a two-part “Intro to Digital Photography” learning experience. These two workshops are designed to give the participants a full understanding of both how their camera works and how to use their camera to capture fabulous images. The workshops will be held on Saturday, May 2 and Saturday, May 16 from 9AM – 3 PM each day (with a break for lunch).
If you are a beginning photographer, or want to hone your skills even more, this is for you! If you have friends who are interested in photography but don’t know how to get started – let them know. There is a large discount for BPS members, and a chance to join the club and get the discounted price all at the same time.
Register at: http://tinyurl.com/BPSPhotoWorkshop
We hope you will share this with anyone you know who wants to improve their photography understanding and skills.

May 4, 2026 "Developing film"
2026-05-04 19:00 - 21:00
details to follow

May 16, 2026 Intro to Digital Photography Workshops -- Part 2
2026-05-16 09:00 - 15:00
Intro to Digital Photography Workshops
Once again BPS will be offering a two-part “Intro to Digital Photography” learning experience. These two workshops are designed to give the participants a full understanding of both how their camera works and how to use their camera to capture fabulous images. The workshops will be held on Saturday, May 2nd and Saturday, May 16th from 9AM – 3 PM each day (with a break for lunch).
If you are a beginning photographer, or want to hone your skills even more, this is for you! If you have friends who are interested in photography but don’t know how to get started – let them know. There is a large discount for BPS members, and a chance to join the club and get the discounted price all at the same time.
Register at: http://tinyurl.com/BPSPhotoWorkshop
We hope you will share this with anyone you know who wants to improve their photography understanding and skills.

May 18, 2026 at 7:00 PM: Doug Chinnery will present “Working at the Edge of an Unthought”
2026-05-18 19:00 - 21:00
Abstraction is often where clarity falters & imagination begins. Many photographers find themselves uneasy here – between what is seen & what is felt, between subject & sensation. Yet it’s in this uncertain territory that some of the most original & personal work is born.
In this presentation, Doug will explore what it means to see abstractly – to move beyond representation & into perception, intuition & response. Together, we’ll look at how to loosen control, embrace ambiguity & cultivate the mental space where unexpected images emerge. The audience will discover practical ways to translate that awareness into compelling visual form, using their camera & their own sensitivity as creative instruments.
In the second half of this session, Doug will demonstrate how he takes raw, ordinary photographs & transforms them into expressive abstractions, using Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop in unconventional ways that align with his creative intent.
This session is both a meditation & a workshop – a chance to stand at the edge of the un-thought, to look beyond what one know & perhaps to rediscover the excitement of making images that surprise even us.

Doug comes to us from the UK. In Doug’s own words: “I am primarily influenced by & draw inspiration from Abstract Expressionist painters such as Hodgkin, Feiler, Rae & Ryman. My gestural work aims to distil the rhythm, rhyme & flow of the landscape through poetic visual expressions.

With the camera as my principal medium, mirroring my painted mixed-media abstracts, I attempt to create intuitive, abstracted works that layer texture, colour & form to elicit a deeply emotional & expressive response to the natural & built environments.

Living on a remote island in the Outer Hebrides, much of my time is devoted to teaching, especially through our online & app-based creative photography community at fyv.art. I have a passion for creative thinking & relish encouraging students worldwide to discover their own unique artistic voice.

I have exhibited widely in the UK & overseas, have taught in the Photography Degree course at the Bradford College of Art. My first book, ‘Abstract Mindedness’ has now sold out.

When not making art, I derive great pleasure from making (rather poor) furniture & spending time with my wife, Beth, & our exuberant Golden Retriever, Eddie.”

Please check out Doug’s online creative learning and community sites:

doug@dougchinnery.com
www.dougchinnery.com
FYV – find your voice
www.baileychinnery.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/.

June 1, 2026 at 7:00 PM: Jacqui Burke will present “Practical Backyard Wildlife Photography: Tips and Tricks for Beginner to Advanced Wildlife Photographers”
2026-06-01 19:00 - 21:00
Don’t have the time or money to travel to Kenya, Tanzania, India, Antarctica, or some other exotic locale to obtain outstanding wildlife photos? No worries… backyard wildlife photography offers an ideal blend of accessibility and challenge, and the presentation will walk viewers through the fundamentals that make it successful. We’ll start with practical techniques for identifying local species and creating habitat features that bring birds and mammals within photographic range. From there, we’ll discuss dependable camera settings for fast-moving wildlife, strategies for working with common backyard birds—woodpeckers, bluebirds, and hummingbirds—and approaches for managing light, backgrounds, and behavior.

We’ll also introduce sensor-based triggers and remote flashes for capturing elusive nocturnal animals. Whether you’re looking to improve technical sharpness, diversify your portfolio, or simply enjoy wildlife more deeply, the hope is that you’ll come away with tools you can apply immediately in your own yard.

Jacqui Burke is a small animal veterinarian when she is not busy photographing. She has loved animals all her life and values the rich natural history of wild animals. She began to travel to see animals in the wild 12-13 years ago and soon became interested in photography when she saw the photos that others were getting. Initially her style was more documentary, but more recently she has developed a more artistic style to wildlife photography. Nearing retirement, Jacqui anticipates photographing close to home more often. Jacqui’s photos have been awarded, published, or used in calendars or cards by The National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, North American Nature Photography Association, Nature’s Best, Wild Sojourns, Birdo Bird Photographer of the Year, Wyoming Wildlife Magazine, the Galapagos Conservation Trust, and the Philadelphia Flower Show, among many others. Her photos have also appeared in a professionally published book, Jaguars of the Northern Pantanal. In spite of these honors, Jacqui knows she has much more to learn and is looking forward to the time ahead!

jacquiburke.smugmug.com

June 12, 2026 Philadelphia Walk from Reading Terminal Market through Society Hill to the Delaware River rain or shine. Meet at 9:00 AM at the Market (all day). Led by Vince Pellegrini
2026-06-12

June 14, 2026 at midnight: Entries are due for the June member photo competition, Theme: "Up Close & Personal (Macro)"
2026-06-14
June 14, 2026 at midnight: Entries are due for the June member photo competition, Theme: “Up Close & Personal (Macro)”

June 15, 2026 at 7:00 PM: Bill Ward will present “In Search Of…”
2026-06-15 19:00 - 21:00
The multi award winning photographer & actor Bill Ward was born & raised in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. Bill will give us a very personal insight into his unique photographic journey. He’ll discuss his background & his acting career, before going on to discuss the photographs that he takes (all three are closely related) & why he takes them. He’ll cover the full range of his work, from his contemporary seascapes, landscapes & cityscapes to his distinctive “Creative Photography” projects (ICM, In-camera multiple exposures, and abstracts) – a genre in which he’s been a leading practitioner for over a decade. Expect plenty of unexpected twists & turns, & an awful lot of pictures.

Bill Ward is an extremely accomplished photographer. He was awarded the Adobe Prize at the 2015 UK Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards (also Commended 2013 and 2020), Best Seascape at the 2020 Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards, & runner up in the Creative Photography category at SLPOTY 2021. His work is frequently Commended, Shortlisted & Nominated in competitions all over the world. He is a judge for UK Landscape Photographer of the Year.

Bill’s work has been exhibited in numerous fine art galleries around the UK, including the Mick Oxley Gallery in Northumberland, Contemporary Six & the Wendy J Levy Gallery in Manchester, & has been featured in newspapers, magazines, advertising campaigns & books. He’s been a regular writer & contributor for the worldwide “ICM Photography Magazine” since its inception, & gives talks at festivals, shows, & camera clubs all over the world. He is proud to be an Ambassador for Pentax Ricoh UK, on the Pro-Team for 3LT, & a Tour Leader for Light & Land. He also runs his own highly successful 1-2-1 & group workshops, as well as shooting for the photographic agencies Robert Harding & Arena Pal.

His primary photographic subject matter is solitude, in all its forms. He believes that photography is essentially a meeting, between you & wherever you happen to be. A lifelong traveler, he’s interested not just in the places he goes, but the time that he spends in them. It’s this that forms the basis of his work: specifically, how it felt to spend this particular time, with this particular place. One of the UK’s leading Creative Photographers, he has a worldwide following, & is particularly drawn to water.
An actor for over 25 years, Bill has performed in over 30 television shows and films, & over 50 plays since turning professional in 2000. He is probably best known for playing the badly behaved builder Charlie Stubbs in the UK TV show Coronation Street, a role he played for over 400 episodes & three & a half years, & for which he won numerous awards. He also played the long-suffering farmer James Barton in Emmerdale, also for 300 episodes & more than 3 years, & for which he was also nominated for a number of awards. Recent TV work includes After Life for Netflix, The Hunt for Raoul Moat for ITV, & Before We Die for Channel 4/Worldwide. Bill is currently touring the UK and Ireland with a brand-new production of The Shawshank Redemption, playing Warden Stammas. His theatre work includes multiple roles in London’s West End (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Spamalot, Million Dollar Quartet, Viva Forever), UK Tours (The Full Monty, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Glee Club, Shakespeare in Love, Legally Blonde, Look Back in Anger), Rep Theatre (Newcastle Theatre Royal, Bristol Old Vic, Bath Theatre Royal, Manchester Royal Exchange, Northern Stage, Theatre Clwyd), New Writing (National Theatre Studio, Battersea Arts Centre, White Bear) & Off West End (Southwark Playhouse, Greenwich Theatre).
Website: www.billwardphotography.co.uk
Constantly in search of peace and quiet, his photography is a response, & in many ways an antidote, to the time he spends as an actor working in the public eye.
“IMMERSIVE”, Bill’s pioneering Ocean ICM project, a groundbreaking 4 year investigation into water, energy and movement, has just been released by Kozu Books & is now available at www.kozubooks.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/.

June 29, 2026 June Member Competition - Theme - "Up Close & Personal (Macro)" with judge Pete Morton
2026-06-29 19:00 - 21:00
June 29, 2026 June Member Competition – Theme – “Up Close & Personal (Macro)” with judge Pete Morton
