Berks Photographic Society

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

Jim Scheirer - "African Safari"
2023-04-03 19:00 - 21:00
– April 3, 2023 at 7 PM: BPS Member Talk – Jim Scheirer – “African Safari”
Jim Scheirer is a retired Chemistry Professor from Albright College and has been a member of BPS for more than 45 years. He has traveled to more than 40 countries, including 15 countries in Africa. This program describes his fifth trip to Africa in 2019 when he spent almost three months just in South Africa in two of the largest game parks in the world – Kruger Park, about the size of Massachusetts, and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which is even larger.
Game parks in Southern African countries require visitors to remain inside their vehicles at all times except in fenced-in camps and picnic areas, except for a few safe viewpoints and photo blinds, so virtually all pictures must be taken from inside a vehicle. Visitors are not allowed to drive off-road but It is possible to get good pictures. The animals are used to cars and often get quite close. A tripod is not necessary and usually would be impossible to use. A guide is also not necessary because you and other visitors serve as very successful game spotters. You stop and ask “what do you see? ” when you see cars stopped along the road. With a telephoto zoom, automatic focus and auto exposure Jim was able to fill the frame with many lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, birds and many species of antelope.
Join us for a view of Africa through Jim’s lens!

Easter Pet Photoshoot - Fundraiser
2023-04-01 11:00 - 16:00
Easter Pet Photoshoot – Fundraiser
Saturday, April 1, 2023

We need your help! If you love pets then this is the one photoshoot you’re not gonna want to miss! A local pet store, “Godfrey’s Welcome to Dogdom” is heading up this fun Easter photoshoot for pet owners. Pet owners will bring their pets and leave with a beautiful image, and the club will earn some funds!
Greg Aulenbach will be the photographer and we (the BPS members who attend) will assist him for the day to keep everything running smoothly. We need at least 5-6 people helping us to pull this off. This is a great opportunity to learn new skills, get to know some other club members, and help the club earn some money. We hope you can join us.
Day: Saturday April 1st
Time: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Place: Godfrey’s Welcome to Dogdom
4267 New Holland Rd.
Mohnton 19540
If you are interested in helping please contact Kim Sweimler at kim.sweimler@berksphotographic.com for all of the information you will need.

March 27, 2023: BPS Member Photo Competition Night with Nanci Ori
2023-03-27 19:00 - 21:00
March 27, 2023: BPS Member Photo Competition Night with Nanci Ori as judge for a hybrid Zoom meeting. The theme of this event will be announced in the near future.
Nancy Ori is extremely qualified to judge & critique our competition. She obtained a BA degree in Fine Arts from Elmira College & an MS degree in Visual Communications from Pratt Institute. She worked for 25 years as an in-house corporate photographer and manager of Video & Photography Services.

Nancy is now the owner of New Jersey Media Center, LLC where she continues to do product, portrait & food photography. She also enjoys teaching photography globally as well as exhibiting her fine art photographs. Nancy was taught by Ansel Adams and then affiliated for many years with the Ansel Adams Workshop in California. She is currently on the faculty of several museums & teaches privately. In 1995, she founded the New Jersey Photography Forum, which has become the largest & most recognized group of fine art exhibiting photographers in NJ.
Nancy predominantly photographs in the ever-changing landscape, but over the past several years has combined mixed media & abstract images into her bag of interests. Her work has been widely collected & exhibited in museums & galleries throughout the globe, has been chosen to participate in numerous grant projects & fine art exhibits, & is in numerous permanent museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. Along with exhibiting her own work, Nancy has curated & juried hundreds of exhibits at a wide variety of venues internationally & leads workshops internationally. See Nancy’s website for more information: www.nancyoriworkshops.com.

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.

Adobe Lightroom processing workshop
2023-03-04 09:00 - 11:00 | Berks Photographic Society, 201 Washington St., Reading, PA, 19601, United States
Hi Folks,
We had a very well received evening of image processing on February 6 led by Leigh Reeves as part of the member speaker series organized by Jay Linsenbigler. Five of us worked on Leigh’s image in real time then compared our final products to his vision. It was an excellent learning experience for all of us. Several members suggested having a follow up processing session so let’s go!!
I will lead an Adobe Lightroom processing workshop on Saturday, March 4 from 9-11 AM in the BPS suite 326 at the GoggleWorks, in-person only & not on Zoom. This will be a free session, limited to dues-current BPS members only. An RSVP to this email that you plan to join us would be greatly appreciated. If there is questionable weather that day look for a status update email.
This will be an interactive session. Attendees are encouraged to bring laptops with Lightroom installed to follow along with the processing steps but that is definitely not required for the workshop. Internet service will be available to run Lightroom, as needed. I will address some basic Lightroom steps then process a few of my own images as examples of how I use Lightroom. I would ask that those attending either email me one or two unprocessed images &/or bring an SD card with the images loaded to The GoggleWorks so that I can process them with the group. This is not mandatory but will add to the fun. Ideally, these images would be RAW files so that the full potential of the files & Lightroom can be achieved but JPG files would still work. If the image file size is greater than 20MB & you are going to email the file then use WeTransfer or Dropbox to do so as that size will be too large for an email attachment. I will try to get through everyone’s images but that will be limited by the time factor. I apologize in advance if your image is not processed.
As in the case for all BPS in-person sessions, BPS highly recommends that all participants be up to date with Covid vaccinations per the definition of the CDC. Please avoid joining us if there has been a known exposure to Covid within the past 10 days. If there is any question of symptoms then do a Covid test before coming to the session. Masks are optional & welcomed.
Email me if you have any questions. Hope to see many of you,
vince.pellegrini@berksphotographic.com
Vince Pellegrini

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
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.

February 6, 2023: BPS Member Talk organized by Leigh Reeves - a group post processing session.
2023-02-06 19:00 - 21:00
February 6, 2023: BPS Member Talk organized by Leigh Reeves – a group post processing session.

Mollie Isaacs will do a hybrid Zoom presentation titled “Abstracts with Impact”
2023-01-16 19:00 - 21:00
January 16, 2023: Mollie Isaacs will do a hybrid Zoom presentation titled “Abstracts with Impact”.

Abstracts are the poetry of photography. They allow your imagination & your creativity to soar. Abstracts allow you to incorporate line, shape, form & color to create images that are unique & artistic. And, it allows you to be completely free of rules or restrictions. This program will show you how to find abstract subjects, plus how to create beautiful images from ordinary things you see every day. You will be taken step-by-step through the creative process. You will see the basic scene or subject & then the resulting abstract image. You will learn how to find abstracts in a variety of subjects including cars, water, birds, flowers, landscapes, shells, glassware & more. This program will open your eyes to all the creative possibilities around us. Mollie will show you how to turn basic things we see every day into compelling images that will catapult your photography to a higher level.

You will recall that Mollie did an excellent judge & critique session for our March 28, 2022 Competition night. Mollie is a professional photographer who specializes in nature, wildlife, flowers, and abstracts. She is passionate about photography & loves to share that passion by teaching others. Early in her career, she studied with Ansel Adams & Joyce Tenneson. She has won the Kodak Gallery Award 14 times, considered by some to be the “Oscar” of photography. Mollie’s work is in the Permanent Collection of the International Photography Hall of Fame & has been exhibited at Epcot Center in Disney World & at Grand Central Terminal in NYC. She runs Awake The Light Photo Workshops & Tours, offers online webinars & personally leads photo workshops around the country and beyond. Read more about Mollie & see her work at www.awakethelight.com & Facebook.
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 “Mollie Isaacs – January 16” in the order box. Once BPS receives your donation, your pass will be emailed to you.

January 9, 2023 How Did You Get That Shot? Get ready for some creativity! Join us as BPS member presenter Betsy Wilson shows us how to remove the roadblocks and add that spark to getting great images.
2023-01-09 19:00 - 21:00
How Did You Get That Shot? Get ready for some creativity! Join us as presenter Betsy Wilson shows us how to remove the roadblocks and add that spark to getting great images. A hybrid zoom meeting.

Betsy will share a sampling of some before and after images by both her husband Jim and herself and explain how they got from the original image to the final creation. Sometimes it is merely getting creative with cropping and some minor edits, sometimes they will blend several photos together to create something completely different. “It’s not just the destination, but the journey – what I saw and felt and wanted to capture, and then the steps (and mistakes) along the journey to create the final image.”
Bio:
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 she has never looked back. Their shared passion for photography includes a wide variety of types including macro, landscape and nature photography. Both Betsy and Jim have been honored as Photographer of the Year Award at the Chester County Camera Club. You can see more of their images at Betsy and Jim’s website www.LetsCaptureTheMoment.com

Photo Shoot with Santa
2022-12-10 10:00 - 14:00
PHOTOS WITH SANTA AT BOSCOV’S NORTH
It’s that time of the year again and we need your help! On Saturday December 10th Berks Photographic Society will be having our annual Santa Photo-shoot. This year Boscov’s North will be hosting us.
We will be meeting in the down stairs auditorium at 10:00 am and the photos will be taken from 11:00am – 2:00 pm.
This is a super fun day for our club and our Santa Glenn is amazing. It can’t be done without your help! So please consider coming out and helping us make this year’s fundraising photo-shoot for our club a very successful one!
If you are available on Saturday December 10th please notify Kim Sweimler at kim.sweimler@berksphotographic.com

Tom Stoeri will present "Composition - In The Wild"
2022-12-05 19:30 - 21:30 | Berks Photographic Society, 201 Washington St., Reading, PA, 19601, United States
“There is no such thing as art. There are only artists.” — The Story of Art, E.H. Gombrich
Photography IS art! Per Merriam-Webster, art is “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination…”.
There are countless decisions that photographers make every time they create a photograph. In studio photography you may control EVERYTHING! But when you are in the wild, you lose much of that control. The very fact that you are in the wild means you have very little control. There is one thing you can still control — how you order the picture space. How we compose using the light, weather, subject, background, how much detail we decide to include or exclude.
A major factor in controlling that detail is depth of field. How do you make your subject pop in the photo? Understanding how to use depth of field to effect your composition in the wild is a powerful tool. It is more than just selecting the f-stop. Knowing how distance to subject, distance to background, sensor size, focal length, bokeh all effect the composition is key to your artistry!
We will have a creative time exploring this tool for composition in the wild.

“Best of the Year” with Henry Rowan returning for a thir d year in a row as judge for this event.
2022-11-28 19:30 - 21:30 | ZOOM
November 28, 2022: “Best of the Year” with Henry Rowan returning for a third year in a row as judge for this event.
Henry is a national award-winning photographer and the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Center for Photography in Doylestown (PCP’s WEBSITE).
In addition to being a working, professional photographer, Henry is a frequent lecturer and judge throughout the region, including BPS meetings, and teaches a variety of workshops at the PCP & in the field. Rowan’s work is frequently on display at galleries and shows and he has gained a following for his distinctive style of portraiture as well as his unique portrayal of landscapes, nature, and sports. Rowan plays with movement, light, and color in unison to create images that are easy to identify as his. The driving theme of his work is his concept of Non-Existent Imagery. Many of his images are the result of hours of work and are part of his CameraGraph® series, in which post-processing plays a major role to visually construct his “reality”. You may see Rowan’s work HERE.

Rodger Elliot will speak to us via Zoom on Landscapes, Plants, Flowers & Patterns of Australia
2022-11-21 19:30 - 21:30 | ZOOM
November 21, 2022: Rodger Elliot will speak to us via Zoom on Landscapes, Plants, Flowers & Patterns of Australia. This presentation will cover many aspects of what one can come across as you explore the vast Australian continent with the main concentration on its amazing plant life. Australia is regarded as a biological hot spot of the world. The images Rodger has selected for this presentation were taken in a wide range of habitats as well as in cultivation. There will be images of scenes (from alpine to desert and coast), tree trunks, foliage, flowers (including carnivorous plants), fruits, fungi, lichens, moss and a series on natural patterns.
Rodger had had a passion for observing & cultivating Australian plants since his late teens and began photographing them in the early 1960s. He will discuss selection of subjects, exposure/shutter speed, f/stops and ISO as well as providing some hints that he puts into practice while photographing. He is very interested in the practice of gaining ‘bokeh’ in images and this has led him into further ‘artistic’ fields which will also be covered near the conclusion of the presentation.

Rodger has traveled throughout most of southern and central Australia and has had a number of excursions into northern Australia. He always travels very light with minimal equipment as he would often be hiking. His gear usually includes one or two camera bodies and a couple of lenses with UV and daylight filters plus magnification rings. Tripod, flash or a reflective sheet are rarely utilized. Post production editing may involve Photoshop Elements but is not seen as a must for most images.

With his long involvement in the horticultural industry, it has meant that his photography is often used as an aid for plant identification and images are often utilized for publishing projects.

Rodger lives with his wife Gwen in Berwick, a leafy area some 40 km east of Melbourne, Victoria in south-eastern Australia. They have operated retail and wholesale nurseries specializing in Australian plants for about 35 years, including selecting and breeding Australian plants for worldwide markets. Having been a horticulturalist, pseudo-botanist, writer, lecturer and tour guide, Rodger is now retired. He began writing for Australian and overseas garden journals and magazines in the 1970s and has completed over 25 books on Australian plants. He is co-author with David Jones of the highly renowned 9-volume The Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants Suitable for Cultivation that is illustrated by Trevor Blake. He has lectured on Australian plants in many parts of Australia, the UK, Europe and Japan as well as widely in the US, including Longwood Gardens, Brooklyn Botanic Garden & the University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum and Botanic Garden.
Rodger served on the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Board for 16 years and is currently Chairman of the Maud Gibson Trust Advisory Committee, its sole support. In 1999, Rodger received the Gold Veitch Memorial Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society, London. In 2001, Rodger and Gwen were appointed Members of the Order of Australia for their contribution to the horticulture of Australian plants. They are Honorary Life Members of the Arboretum Associates of the University of California, Santa Cruz. In 2004, Rodger and Gwen received the F. Owen Pearce Award of Horticulture from the Strybing Arboretum Society in recognition of their role in expanding the horticultural potential of Australian flora for Californian gardens. In 2014 they were inducted into the Horticultural Media Association Australia’s Hall of Fame. Rodger’s other awards include the Australian Institute of Horticulture’s Award for Excellence 1992, Honorary Life Membership of Australian Plants Society, Australian Plants Award 1995 and the Australian Natural History Medallion 1995.
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 “Rodger Elliot – November 21” in the Additional information/Order Notes box. Once we receive your donation, your pass will be emailed to you. The deadline to request passes for this event is the Wednesday before the meeting.

iPhone Photography Workshop with Julie Stauffer
2022-11-19 09:00 - 12:00 | Berks Photographic Society, 201 Washington St., Reading, PA, 19601, United States
The workshop will be limited to the first 15 people to signup.
Session fee: $40 or $60 per couple: visit the club store to buy your tickets
This workshop will explore the iPhone as a camera for serious photographers. We will experiment with various shooting possibilities, including portrait mode, slow motion, multiple exposure, etc. We will go through the various editing possibilities built into the camera. Those of you with newer phones that have prime lenses will be amazed at the possibilities. While you can still operate with one lens on the older iPhones, you do need to be aware that there may be limitations.
We will also use SNAPSEED as an editing app. Snapseed is just a powerhouse of possibilities if you know how to find and use them. Some of the features rival what you can accomplish in Photoshop.
If you prefer to edit (not photograph) on an iPad, feel free to bring that to class. It is ever so much easier on the eyes to have a larger screen to work on, but please do not bring a laptop. This is iOS meaning iPhones and iPads only.
During this session, we will also have time to photograph and experiment and share. Stauffer has condensed a lot of information into one session.
Please email Julie at juliestauffer@me.com with the following information:

What iphone you have
Do you use your phone regularly to photograph
What you would like to know more about from this session? You can be brief, just a few sentences, but it will give a basis to work on so that the time is well spent.

BEFORE the WORKSHOP:

Make sure your iPhone is fully charged
Bring your charger cables
Know your Apple username and password if you need to download apps
Download Snapseed and give it access to your photos.

We will discuss other apps: PhotoSplits, Hipstamatic ,ProCamera, Camera +, TruHDR, Slow Shutter, Clonerase, Waterlogue, Glaze, Oilist, Image Blender, Touch Retouch.
Questions: email Julie juliestauffer@me.com, but please be sure to identify yourself as BPS.

Blaschak Coal Fields, Photo Shoot
2022-11-09 10:00 - 13:00 | Blaschak Coal Fields, 163 Delano Rd, Mahanoy City, PA, 17948, United States
On Wednesday, November 9, 2022 BPS will hold a Photo Shoot at the Blaschak Coal Fields in Mt. Carmel, PA from 10AM to 1PM with a rain date of November 10. We will meet there & then be driven to various spots to photograph the activity & the huge earth moving equipment in action.

This must be limited to 8 registrants on a first come basis. Registration is free to BPS members. Please email Vince at Vince.Pellegrini@berksphotographic.com quickly to reserve your spot. Registration will go to a wait list once the maximum number is reached.

Jeff Schaeffer will share "Getting Started in Video"
2022-11-07 19:30 - 21:30 | Berks Photographic Society, 201 Washington St., Reading, PA, 19601, United States
Cameras have been constantly improving their capabilities over the last several years. In addition to providing new features that help us capture our images, the video capabilities in most DSLRs, mirrorless cameras and even cell phones also keep improving and expanding giving us new tools to work with. While an image often tells a story, video enables us to tell even more of the story. The videographer uses moving images and sound to guide the viewer through the story they want to tell.
While initially working with video can seem a bit intimidating, as photographers, we already have a great foundation of skills to expand on. Many of the things we already do as photographers can easily be applied to video. However, creating videos requires learning some new skills such as camera movement, the use of audio and video editing.
Jeff is relatively new to video and began working with it in 2021 when he challenged himself to start learning by creating a video during a one-week day camp and present it to parents on the fifth day to help them experience the week at camp. While there are things that can be improved on with this video, it was a good opportunity to learn some basic shooting techniques, how to organize video clips, how to approach telling the story and how to do some basic video editing. It also gave him a list of things to explore and skills to develop to continue on his videography journey in 2022. Most importantly, the project challenged him to get started! (note: the video can be seen here )
Jeff will share how to utilize some of the skills we already have as photographers, how to leverage some of the capabilities of equipment we already own and introduce a few new basic skills about videography to get us started on an exciting new journey of telling stories through video!

Hit Us With Your Best Shots, Fire Away
2022-10-24 19:30 - 21:30 | Berks Photographic Society, 201 Washington St., Reading, PA, 19601, United States
The final BPS competition for 2022 will be held on October 24, 2022 at 7:30PM ET as a hybrid meeting, in person & via Zoom. The theme is “Hit Us With Your Best Shots, Fire Away” in both Nature & Pictorial.
BPS is incredibly fortunate to have as the judge for this event Tony Bramleyfrom Essex, England. Members are encouraged to check out these various links to Tony’s work: HERE, www.lightacademy.co.uk, www.suprematism.co.uk & www.stormphotography.co.uk

David duChemin will present his talk The Heart of the Photograph via Zoom.
2022-10-17 19:30 - 21:30 | ZOOM
October 17, 2022: David duChemin will present his talk The Heart of the Photograph via Zoom. This is a combined session with the Lancaster Photo Group & the York County Camera Club. Illustrated by inspiring photographs from around the world, David’s session will be a 90-minute conversation (including Q&A time) exploring ten powerful ideas about the creation of more engaging photographs. This Zoom session will discuss techniques and ways of thinking about the creation of images designed to engage human imagination and emotion, including questions of vision and intent, the use of space and time, the creation of depth, and the use of point of view. David will also discuss mood and mystery, storytelling, and what this all means for our choices of moments as well as more practical considerations, like the more creative use of exposure tools, composition, and more. This will be a compelling talk with (and about) heart that all of us will remember for a long time.

David duChemin is a best-selling author, award-winning photographer, and leading expert in the field of creativity. With over 35 years of experience making photographs, his calling is to help photographers make photographs that are more than just sharp and well-exposed. David teaches how to make photographs that light a spark in people, that communicate clearly, that captivate imaginations and grab the attention and hearts of the people who will see them. As an international workshop leader and author of best-selling books like Within The Frame and The Soul of the Camera (both published in over a dozen languages), he’s taught students this incredible craft on all seven continents.

You can get a sense of David’s teaching on his blog at davidduchemin.com. You can see his portfolio at portfolio.davidduchemin.com. And you can listen to his sultry radio voice by tuning into his podcast about the joys and challenges of everyday creativity at aBeautifulAnarchy.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 “David duChemin – October 17” in the Additional information/Order Notes box. Once we receive your donation, your pass will be emailed to you. The deadline to request passes for this event is the Wednesday before the meeting.

Open House at the Berks History Center for Phase II of the "Snapshot in Time" exhibit
2022-10-15 17:00 - 19:00
This Saturday, October 15, from 5-7 PM is the Open House at the Berks History Center for Phase II of the “Snapshot in Time” exhibit, featuring photos from BPS members. “For each circa 1900 image of Dr. Haman, one winning BPS member photograph was chosen to be displayed as 16×20″ prints beside its historic inspiration in the gallery.”

We would love to have lots of BPS members attend the Open House. Please, please, please, do this one for Bob!

Learn more at: https://www.berkshistory.org/event/a-snapshot-in-time-opening-night-reception/

We hope to see you there,
The Board of BPS

Julie Stauffer, iPhone Photography - member talk
2022-10-03 19:30 - 21:30 | Berks Photographic Society, 201 Washington St., Reading, PA, 19601, United States
Julie will talk about her creative journey as an iPhone photographer, why she shoots with an iPhone, and show some of her photo images. She will also discuss various creative techniques such as multiple exposures, intentional camera movement, unique post-processing and printing methods using images from ANY camera.
Julie Stauffer has been a leading iPhone photography teacher along the East Coast. She has taught workshops throughout Connecticut, Westchester County, and New York City and has expanded into Maryland, Washington DC, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Florida. Now in her third decade as a professional photographer, her primary work is in iPhone photography instruction.
Get some great tips on how to shoot with the camera you have with you all the time!

Keith Bauer will do a Zoom presentation entitled Avian Photography - It’s more than just getting the bird in the frame
2022-09-19 19:30 - 21:30 | ZOOM
September 19, 2022: Keith Bauer will do a Zoom presentation entitled Avian Photography – It’s more than just getting the bird in the frame. Keith will provide a presentation on avian photography and what it takes to create images that are much more than just getting the bird in the frame. Like all wildlife photography, the photographer can’t control all the variables, but a little thought and planning can make a big difference in the final images you’re able to capture. This talk will share images and the information behind them. To be sure, luck is sometimes required, but being prepared can make that luck happen more often and allow you to come home with compelling avian images.

Keith is a nature & wildlife photographer living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Born and raised in Colorado, his academic background includes majors in Math, Physics and a graduate degree in Computer Science. That training led to a rewarding 34 year career in the world of Computer Science with the last 28 years working in the world of national security at Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque. Now 5 years into retirement, photography continues to play a significant role in life.
Keith’s photographic background includes studio work creating formal portraits, commercial work, weddings, outdoor portraits, and now predominantly nature and wildlife. For the last 20 years or so, the world of avian and wildlife photography have played a dominant role, but night, macro, time lapse and landscape photography are important components of his photographic portfolio.

Keith is a post processing expert in Lightroom and Photoshop and has co- authored 2 video e-books on Lightroom. His website is https://www.keithbauerphotography.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 “Keith Bauer – September 19” in the Additional information/Order Notes box. Once we receive your donation, your pass will be emailed to you. The deadline to request passes for this event is the Wednesday before the meeting

Members Travel Sharing Night
2022-09-12 19:30 - 21:00 | ZOOM
Jay Linsenbigler will moderate a BPS member session “show and tell” photo sharing night of the places we have visited – both near and farther away. The purpose is to give members ideas or inspiration about places to visit & ways to capture travel images. Local photo spots are fine – there are surely many places nearby that few know about.
Jay is asking members to share for only 5-10 minutes about one or two locations visited (recently OR in the past), showing perhaps 5-10 photos. Please email Jay at kristieandjayl@gmail.com if you’re interested in sharing! We need multiple members to volunteer to make this work!

Knoebels Grove Amusement Park
2022-07-27 16:00 - 20:00 | Knoebels, 391 Knoebels Blvd., Elysburg, PA, 17824, United States
We are planning a group outing to Knoebels on July 27th! (rain date July 28)

We can car pool together and shoot photos from approximately 3 or 4 pm until 8 pm when the park closes!

Just a fun outing together shooting rides at night and a variety of amusement park scenes !

Let Jay know if you’re interested in joining the outing!

https://www.knoebels.com/

Antietam Lake Hike & Shoot
2022-07-16 09:00 - 11:00 | Antietam Lake Park, 230 Angora Rd, Reading, PA, 19606, United States
Antietam Lake Park is a beautiful local park on Angora Road in Reading. It provides several hiking trails as well as a beautiful lake and smaller pond which give plenty of photo opportunities from landscape to macro photography. Join Jeff Schaeffer on July 16th at 9:00am to explore the park with your camera. It’s a short walk to the lake, an easy short hike to the pond and the possibility to do a longer hike. We’ll tailor the time based on those attending. RSVP to Jeff at jeffschaefferphoto@comcast.net by 7/13.
Processed with MOLDIV

“Water in Any of Its Forms” with Nic Stover as judge.
2022-06-27 19:30 - 21:30 | ZOOM
– June 27, 2022: “Water in Any of Its Forms” with Nic Stover as judge.
Nic Stover Photography exists to help nature photographers, who are interested in deeper connections, to create more impactful images, so they can confidently & consistently express themselves. Through his classes, webinars, tutorials & presentations, Nic works with people of all ages, backgrounds, experiences & desires focused around a dialog on how we can thrive in our own unique creative and artistic process. Stover encourages his class participants to develop their skills, explore their capabilities, and to create meaningful work. Stover is based in San Luis Obispo, California. See Stover’s WEBSITE.

Fighters Heaven photo walk
2022-06-26 10:00 - 13:00 | Fighter’s Heaven, 58 Sculps Hill Rd, Orwigsburg, PA, 17961, United States
Join us for an informal meetup and tour of Fighters Heaven, Muhammad Ali’s training camp in Owrigsburg, PA.

Fighters Heaven was built in 1972 when Ali was preparing for his biggest fights, and has been beautifully restored and preserved as a legacy to the great man.

It’s an incredible site to visit. We would encourage members to bring their friends and family as well, and it should be a fun time for all. There is a lot to see and photograph inside many of the buildings, so it’s recommended you bring a flash if you have one.

There is no cost to visit but they do accept donations.

Egyptian/Beauty Photo Shoot
2022-06-25 10:00 - 14:00 | Berks Photographic Society, 201 Washington St., Reading, PA, 19601, United States
Kim Sweimler and Richard Shay will be hosting this Egyptian themed photoshoot.
Come and join us for this “IN HOUSE” hands-on event at the Goggleworks. Our models will be dressed in Egyptian themed garments.
We will also be taking headshots with a beauty dish for our glamor part of the photoshoot.
This event is limited to 12 people, so please sign up by emailing Kim at kas.kimages@gmail.com if you are interested.
Bring your camera and if you have your own pocket wizard please bring it with you also, if not Kim will provide a few.

“Attitude, Inspiration and Composition, A no BS Approach to Photography” via Zoom.
2022-06-20 19:30 - 21:30 | ZOOM
Rich Lewis, our judge for several 2021 BPS photo competitions, will give a session titled “Attitude, Inspiration and Composition, A no BS Approach to Photography” via Zoom.
This isn’t just a lesson in basic composition, it is a serious but entertaining look at the three fundamental building blocks required to create great photography.
Of all the things in photography, composition is the thing photographers struggle with the most. This is because composition is more completely subjective, but rarely taught that way. Composition also needs to be put in perspective with two other important components in order to be applied to one’s photography effectively. Those components are: Attitude – How to put yourself in the right mind and give yourself permission to create the way you want. Inspiration – We all need inspiration, but there is a fine line between imitating the work that inspires us and using it to create something unique. You will learn to navigate that fine line. Composition – More than a set of rules, learn how composition is actually a method of communication. All of this will be covered in the presentation with examples and even a fun test at the end.
Rich has been a professional and fine art photographer since the 1970’s with a passion for landscapes, especially the New Jersey Pine Barrens, abandoned buildings and interesting people. Richard’s inspiration comes from landscape painters and has developed a style he calls “Painting with a Camera”. This involves equal effort in both creating and post processing an image.
He is an active photography blogger, lecturer, instructor and conducts workshops in the New Jersey Pine Barrens to help photographers find their unique creative voice. His book “Photographing the New Jersey Pine Barrens, A Complete Photography Guide” was recently released & is available from his website & Amazon. To learn more about Rich, visit his website:RichardLewisPhotography.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 “Rich Lewis – June 20, 2022” in the Additional information/Order Notes box. Once we receive your donation, your pass will be emailed to you. The deadline to request passes for this event is the Wednesday before the meeting.

Introduction to Printing and Mounting Workshop
2022-06-11 08:00 - 11:30 | Dan Bergs Studio, 477 Alleghenyville Rd., Mohnton, PA, 19540, United States
Second date added! The workshop on June 4th is filled so Dan has graciously agreed to run a second date.

Dan Berg of Berg’s Canvas Gallery will be conducting an “Introduction to Printing and Mounting” workshop on June 11th from 8:30AM to approx 11:30 at his printing studio in Mohnton, PA.
The cost of the workshop is $25.00. This event is limited to the first 6 people who register.
You can register here in our store.

Dan will demonstrate printing and mounting images. This is an excellent introductory workshop for anyone who wants an overview of excellent photo printing or is considering it in the future.

Visit Dan’s website at http://www.bergscanvasgallery.com/index.html
Studio address: 477 Alleghenyville Rd. Mohnton, PA 19540
