Focal Points Magazine - Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Camera Committee, July 2021 by John Nilsson

Focal Points Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Camera Committee Magazine July 2021

Focal Points Magazine

Due to current directives from The Sierra Club, we will be holding our August 12, 2021 meeting on-line. I will be contacting everyone when the time comes with instructions as to how to access via Zoom.

Contents 6. Meetings and Outings 10. Joe's How-To 16. Member Photos 78. Black and White Pages 88. Contributor's Bio's 102. Notes and Announcements

Focal Points Magazine

110. Photo of the Month

Published monthly by the Angeles Chapter Sierra Club Camera Committee, John Nilsson, Editor.

111. Parting Shot

Questions and comments can be directed to John at 213-266-2224

Cover Photo Credit:

Notes from the Chairman Things are getting back to normal...(it appears) Barring any unforseen unpleasant issues arising from the Delta Variant, it looks like we are good to go on trip planning and execution as of July 5! Our chapter leaders and our Outings Chairpersons, Joan Schipper and Alison Boyle have been putting together a nice selection of trips for our enjoyment for the balance of 2021.

Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures,

We’ll have more on these plans soon. In the meantime, check out Joan Schipper’s expose of the rules and Regs handed down by the Sierra Club management on how the next few months of outings will be governed. Her article is on page 7 of this Focal Points Magazine. Enjoy your Summer!

kill nothing but time.

Meetings and Outings

Sierra Club Camera Committee --

August 12, 2021 Meeting

? Zoom Link

Where:

In the comfort of your own home via Zoom

Provided before the Presentation See You There!

When: 7:00 PM

What:

The Zoom platform has recently been upgraded to provide high security and ease of operation. Be certain to download or upgrade to the latest vesion before the presentation!

To Be Announced (Working on it!)

Outings 2021: The Sierra Club Re-Opens For Outings by Joan Schipper, Camera Committee Outings Co-Chair It was a wretched day in the Spring of 2020 when the Sierra Club told us to wipe-out our scheduled outings and meetings. The entire calendar became tentative. In the grand scheme of the pandemic, a few lost outings and the conversion to Zoom meetings was not much hardship. But gosh, it’s good to bring the re-opening news. Effective July 5th the Sierra Club, the Angeles Chapter - the West LA Group and the Camera Committee – are all back in the “business” of organizing and conducting outings! Of course, things have changed a bit. Notably we will be operating under a new set of evolving COVID Outings Protocols in addition to our usual safety and procedural rules. So, when next you join an outing, expect to see a few changes. Here are somethings to bear in mind. • Reduced group size. This fits the CamCo nicely as our typically small groups of 8 to 12 are fine. • Masks are required only for indoor close quarters (for example shared vehicles, restaurants, visitor centers) and are optional for outdoors. So, carpools are back! Picnics are fine! Happy hour around the picnic table is restored! Of course, we will all be a bit more conscious of the way we share things. Less dipping, more spooning. Tongs may become a new car camp essential. The mask rules amp-up if there are minors on the trip. Please check the protocols. • We will abide by state, county, and local regulations regarding masks, social-distancing, and occupancy limits. • Vaccinations will not be required and must not be a pre-requisite for inclusion in daytrips. Outings write-ups will carry a reminder that participants may be exposed to other participants who may not be vaccinated. Participants will make their own decisions on whether to join based on this information. • For multiday outings, a medical questionnaire is required and is intended for the leaders’ use in determining fitness for an activity only. Leaders will not share medical information with anyone in or outside the outing unless medical assistance is required. • Also for multiday outings, vaccination is required when overnighting indoors. Exemptions are allowed for persons with a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test 72 hours before trip departure. • All trips: if a participant shows up with COVID symptoms they will be barred from the outing. If symptoms arise during an outing participants will be sent home. An escort out will be provided. Our Camera Committee leaders are planning and negotiating outings now. Please keep an eye on the Camera Committee Calendar or the Chapter’s Schedule of Activities for outings posted as they are approved. Some leaders post outings on MeetUp or Instagram, as well.

In-person meetings have not yet been approved. Keep your fingers crossed for the December Members Show. 7

Joe’s How-to

Joe’s How-To Getting Feedback on Your Photographs

The second audience is composed of people who actively search for work like mine. This includes other artists, collectors, editors, and intermediaries like gallerists and consultants. My relationship to this group is complex, as it represents a broad spectrum of viewpoints and opinions that are relevant to me as an artist. I get opinions about my work that help me to round out my portfolio, or connect with other artists who do similar work, or find places to exhibit my photographs.

By Joe Doherty

It took me years to appreciate critical feedback. I don’t mean negative feedback. I mean responses to my photographs that help me to become a better photographer. Since photography is a communication art, I feel a need to know whether I’m expressing myself in a way that viewers understand. But there is a big pile of baggage standing between me and even wellintentioned feedback. Lessons learned in my other life (academia) have helped me to tear down that pile of baggage. The most important lesson I learned is this – I need to structure my requests for feedback in ways that benefit me and my work.

The third audience, the smallest one, is composed of people who do what I do. This group includes other photographers whose choice of medium and subject is a close match to my own. With people in this group I’m interested in their opinions about specific aspects of my work, and consequently the feedback I’m asking for is quite specific.

Every time we expose our work to others we are asking for feedback: social media, contest submissions, member shows, etc. Not all feedback is equal. Its value to my artistic growth depends in large part on who is giving me feedback, and, more importantly, what I’m asking them to give me an opinion about. The two are connected. I’ve found it helps to think of the people who see my work as belonging to one of three groups, or audiences.

This column is primarily about obtaining feedback from the second and third audiences, people who are engaged in or who actively seek out work like the art you create. Identifying them is the easy part. The hard part is knowing what to ask them. The fundamental question I ask myself is, what am I trying to do with this photograph or collection of photographs? Once I figure that out, I’m on the way to getting useful feedback.

The largest audience is composed of people who come across my work casually. This includes strangers, acquaintances, friends, and family. As an artist my relationship to this audience is simple. They like my work or they don’t. They may love it enough to decorate their homes with prints or buy copies of my publications, and that’s plenty of feedback. 10

“What am I trying to do with this photograph?” is a terrifying question. As an artist I’m supposed to make sweeping statements, aren’t I? “I am trying to express the glory of the American Southwest.” Whose opinion on “glory” would I trust? A more useful question is about something concrete that’s been worrying me, and then finding a person who can answer it. 10

A case-in-point. At the 2019 Sedona Symposium I paid for a review session with Adam Schallau. Adam shoots the South-

something that helps you become a better photographer. Of course, that requires you to do the scary thing of critically examining your own work and making an inventory of where you need to grow. That act by itself can make you a better photographer. Examine your technique, your composition, and your subject matter, and ask yourself, “What am I trying to do here?” If you can ask yourself that question, if you can state your intent, then it’s easier for someone else to give useful feedback. Here are some examples. Technique questions: 1) I’m trying to isolate this wild lupine using a shallow depth of field, but still provide some context for the surrounding meadow. Of these three images – shot at f4, f5.6, and f8 -- which one do you think is the most successful? 2) I’m trying to give these flowers an ethereal feeling, but I’ve reached the limits of what I know how to do. What would you do with this image? 3) I’m trying to make better prints, but the ones I get back from the lab lack contrast and have a greenish cast. How do I make better prints? Composition questions: 1) I’m trying to make a photograph in which this oak tree is the main subject, but I’m having trouble figuring out where to place it in the frame. Is it better dead center, or should I move it to the side and attempt to balance the composition with these rocks? 2) I’m trying to use roads as leading lines towards the sunset, but some of these look better to me than others and I’m not sure why. What do you think? 3) I’m trying to arrange a still life with flowers, but apart from shooting them head-on I don’t know how to arrange them to provide more emotional impact. How do I make an interesting composition using cut flowers?

west, particularly the Grand Canyon, and I was interested in getting feedback on my photographs of Bryce, Zion, and Monument Valley. I handed him ten 5x7 prints and asked, “I’m trying to figure out the color for these pictures. Is this the right palette for the Southwest?” It’s a simple question, borne from years of thinking about the emotional power of red rock and blue skies. And I knew that anyone who had spent as much time in the Grand Canyon as Adam has would have thought about it, too. That simple question spawned a discussion not only about color, but about composition, subject choice, and seasons. I grant that this was a very specific example. The questions you ask will be different from mine, and can be as broad or as specific as you like, as long as it is about 11

Photography is a communication art. I care whether my ideas are communicated to viewers, and there are a lot of variables that help or hinder communication. Is my craft solid? Are my compositions balanced? Is the subject compelling? This means that feedback is integral to my artistic practice. On the other hand, developing a personal style or vision is a solitary endeavor, and no one can tell you how to get there. So I am stuck between needing feedback to grow, and taking the risk that no one will like my work. Being explicit about what kind of feedback you want can help reduce the tension, and the anxiety, of growing as an artist.

Subject questions: 1) I’m trying to create a body of work about a wildlife reserve in the middle of the city. Do you think I’m done or am I missing some part of the story? 2) I’m trying to make portraits of the homeless living in the encampment under the 405. Do you think I should pay them to sit for me? 3) I’m trying to photograph my family on vacation, but nobody wants me to take their picture. Should I get a different family?

Once you have an inventory of questions, look for someone with the specific knowledge that will help you answer one or more of them. It doesn’t have to be professional, but having questions makes it easier to justify paying for a review, and it makes conversations with others more direct. It also makes it easier to accept constructive criticism that addresses your concerns, and to identify and deflect comments (positive and negative) that are not helpful to your growth as an artist. 12

Bryan Leary, SCCC Member and recent lecturer, writes: I hope everything is going well these days. I recently put together a tutorial on planning for a photo trip that I thought might be good content for the upcoming newsletter. I’ve attached a link in case you are interested.

Planning And Packing For A Photo Trip: https://youtu.be/TniIpBUuYCQ talk to you soon, Brian Leary (206)226-5577 www.LightSourceJourneys.com 13

This Month’s Member Photos

Long-tailed Weasel Hunting for Gophers

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

John Fisanotti

MAY 2015

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

MAY 2015

These images were taken in Italy during a European trip in 2014.

Rights Reserved

My first outing of 2021 occurred in January when I ventured out of isolation to visit the grounds of the Huntington Library. There had been a gentle rain the night before, and I planned on photographing whatever was in bloom bejeweled with rain-dew. It turned out the camellias were going strong, and so here is a small portfolio of one delightfully drizzly morning.

Vaughn Hart

The Winwood Walls - Miami, FL The Wynwood Walls was conceived by the renowned community revitalizer and placemaker, the late Tony Goldman in 2009. He was looking for something big to transform the warehouse district of Wynwood, and he arrived at a simple idea: “Wynwood’s large stock of warehouse buildings, all with no windows, would be my giant canvases to bring to them the greatest street art ever seen in one place.” Starting with the 25th–26th Street complex of six separate buildings, his goal was to create a center where people could gravitate to and explore, and to develop the area’s pedestrian potential.

l Rights Reserved

We spent nearly the entire month of June camping on the coast, star in Bodega and getting as far north as Coos Bay. Dramatic fog, rugged c massive trees, and spring flowers punctuated the trip. © 2020 JW Doherty, All Rights Reserved

A minus-tide at Harris Beach State Park in Oregon gave us the most dramatic display of tidepool life we experienced in the entire trip.

Redwoods, Fog, and Sunlight along the Del Norte coast.

rting coastlines,

JW Doherty

A long drive on a one-lane road led us to a hillside overlooking the ocean that was covered in flowers.

Salt Point State Park, along the Sonoma Coast.

A lone surfer crosses the sand at Moonstone Beach, Humboldt County.

Wildflowers along a prominent point along the Sonoma Coast. 36

Sonoma

Waves and rocks in a long exposure at Shore Acres State Park, Oregon. 37

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

John Nilsson

MAY 2015

The Blue Hour - the 40 minutes to an hour after the sun drops below the horizon and the light fades from the sky is made for photographers!

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

Blue Hour - Downtown LA

MAY 2015

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

MAY 2015

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

MAY 2015

Wishbone bush, Calabasas Peak Motorway

Shooting stars, Nich Leo Carrillo State Pa 44

Even though this is one of the driest years in recent memory, there are still a few wildflowers to be found. Here are some of my favorite wildflower images from recent photo excursions:

holas Flat Natural in ark 45

Humboldt Lillies, Santa Ynez C

Cobweb thistle, Alabama Hills near Lone Pine

Canyon in Topanga State Park

Canyon sunflower, Escondido Canyon in Malibu

ry Miller 47

Final Days of Spring in Orange County

Shari Maron

This is the closest I’ve ever been able to get to a blue heron. He was on the bank of the Columbia River near Kennewick, Washington. It was taken at 4:30 in the morning. He was looking toward the sunrise, but with a wary eye on me. I was shooting about 30 feet away with my favorite lens these days for landscape and wildlife, my Sony FE 4.5-5.6 100-400 zoom lens set at 400. My camera is the Sony A7Riii.

Yakima Delta after fire

These images shot during and after a sandstorm in an area known as the Bisti Badlands (pronounced BIS tie) - this is an amazingly scenic and colorful expanse of undulating mounds and unusual eroded rocks covering 4,000 acres, hidden away in the high desert of the San Juan Basin that covers the distant northwest corner of New Mexico, a bizarre anomaly of inhospitable terrain that out-bads the famous Badlands of South Dakota.

John Clement HOT!! This weeks temperatures to rise to triple digits for 5-7 days so I’ll be working to keep 100,000 wildflowers planted this spring alive and thriving. Also enjoying two new grand babies, Marigold and Jack born a week apart. Haven’t wandered to far from home with company from Deleware and Oregon. A boat trip on the Hanford Reach National Monument, Noctilucent Clouds watching and a couple of short storm chases here in the area have been about it. Enjoy some of my random captures from my backyard and beyond.

Three Survivors on one of the many island gravel bars that you will encounter on the Hanford Reach.

Boys in Velvet along the shores of the Columbia river on or Hanford Reach boat tour. The last free flowing portion of the Columbia River.

Wild Flower Garden Sunset- in my back yard my garden path.

Catnip Nirvanaour cat Houdini stoned during his daily visit to the garden.

Noctilucent Day I & II-the highest clouds on earth comprised of meteorite dust and ice crystal these beautiful electric blue clouds appear very rarely about an hour before sunrise or after sunset. The morning image captured at 3:50 am and the evening panorama at 10:10 pm the same day. Occuring at altitudes of 250,000’ or more.

Poppie Design-one of the thousands that have begun bloming the last few day in our extreme heat. 65

Venus Setting-from my backyard. Faint glowing contrails heading for Seattle make it appear to be a giant meteor.

The White Bluffs-sedimentary deposits laid down during the Pliocene Epoch. A wide variety of fossils have been found in the sedimentary layers from lizards to mastodons and camels.

White Bluffs II- the upper end of the bluffs on the Hanford reach.

67 67

Sunset Strike III- looking west as the sun set this beautiful bolt hit about a mile away. A faint silouette of Mt. Rainier is visible to the right of the setting sun. I was not paying attention and short time later was hit by a 60-70mph gust front from the storm which sent my camera and tripod sailing onto some rocks below destroying camera and lens both.

The Sierra Club Story Photo Database As many of you know, we have been putting together a database of “Story” photos that we can use to tell a story or reinforce the message of articles, blog posts, instagram posts, and emails composed by the Sierra Club Communications Staff for publication in Sierra Club publications world wide. We have made great progress with this database but we still need a number of photos to fill our needs. Do you have anything in your photo files that could help us? Here’s what we need:

If you think you have photos that can tell the story of any of the Categories above, I’d like to see them. If used from the database, you will receive credit for your work. Many of you have already contributed to the database and have been published over the last year. Please contact me to discuss: 1-213-266-2224. Thanks!

Most of the Angel Forest are cause of Bobcat F are open it is diffic ness the v of destru hiking thr est of burn black stu were once So, it is n across so beauty un It made m see fields ers and m they smal ca

the trails in les National e closed belast year’s Fire. A few but frankly cult to witvast amount uction while rough a fornt pines and umps that e manzanita. nice to come omething of nexpectedly. me happy to of wildflowmilkweed, be ll but signifiant.

Bolsa Chica Wetlands Just north of the city of Huntington Beach in Orange County, is the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, about 1300 acres of protected coastal wetlands. Both migratory and resident bird species abound. Recently between over 2000 elegant terns eggs were abandoned when a drone crashed over the wetlands and scared the nesting birds. The area is also part of the Huntington Beach oil field and hosts over 100 oil and gas wells. ©2021, Peter Bennett, All Rights Reserved

Peter Bennett

Black and White Black The The Black and & White Pages White Pages

Bob Cates Wet Clivia Leaves Huntington Library Botanical Gardens

B&W No. 1 JW Doherty

Nikon D850 Tamron SP 24-70 F2.8 @ 50mm f/10, 1/320, ISO 100 80

B&W No.2 JW Doherty

iPhone shot of Bryce Canyon N. P. in 2017.

John Fisanotti

A story in the Dune John Nilsson

90mm Macro-Elmar-M 1:4/90 ISO 160 1/500@90mm, f/5.6 ISO 160 A panicked rabbit runs twice up the dune and viers off to the right close to the ridge line. But look carefully. Just to the right of the rabbit tracks is a snake track following close behind. On the far right ridge line is signs of a struggle and a slithering return from the battlefield.

Contributor Bios Contributor Contributor Bios Bios

Steve Anderson

John Clement

Steve worked primarily in the conventional

John began his career in photography in the early 70’s after graduating from Central Washington University with a double major in Geology and Geography. Since then he has earned a Masters of Photography from the Professional Photographers of America. He has received over 65 regional, national and international awards for his pictorial and commercial work. His photographs grace the walls of many businesses in the Northwest and has been published in numerous calendars and coffee table books. He has provided photographs for Country Music Magazine and for Northwest Travel Magazine. He has supplied murals for the Seattle Seahawks Stadium and images for The Carousel of Dreams in Kennewick, WA. Current projects include 17 – 4x8 foot glass panels featuring his landscapes in Eastern Washington for the Pasco Airport Remodel. Last year he finished a major project for the Othello Medical Clinic where almost 200 images were used to decorate the facilities ranging in size from 24” to 35’ in size. His work can be viewd at:

medium of Black and White silver-based photography for many years as he explored the natural landscape of the local San Gabriel Mountains and his beloved High Sierra in California. In the last 20 years he has engaged in digital photography as it has opened up new avenues and excitement about making images of the natural scene. His interest in photography began in junior high school when he developed his first roll of film from a Kodak Brownie camera. He became very interested in combining photography and traveling adventures as a member of the Highlanders, a mountaineering club at Pasadena City College. His work turned more serious during military service as the landscape became his focus of attention. Steve’s interest in the environmental movement, starting in his college days, led him to actively seek ways of using his photography to help in a personally significant way. He joined the Mono Lake Committee 40 years ago and has been an active leader in the Sierra Club since 1981. He served as the chairperson of the Camera Committee of the Angeles Chapter for 5 years.

www.johnclementgallery.com John Clement Photography Face Book Professional page The Kiona Winery in Benton City, and at Allied Arts Gallery in Richland, WA.

Steve’s images have appeared in Sierra, the Southern Sierran, Images of the West, A Portrait of Bodie, and the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Schedule of Activities. Some of his monochrome images were significant contributions to help save Mono Lake. He has had work shown in a number of local galleries. Steve was the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Artist in Residence in 2015. Steve has published four photography books that are available through Blurb.com. “My images sum up my feelings about the grandeur of nature. It is never just one thing that touches me when I try to capture a moment, but always a vast array of emotional and photographic textures. Most of my images are therefore complex and detailed.” Email: sandersonimagery@outlook.com Viewingwebsite:www.pbase.com/spanderson 88

JW Doherty

John Fisanotti

Joe Doherty grew up in Los Angeles and developed his first roll of film in 1972. He has been a visual communicator ever since. He spent his teens and twenties working in photography, most of it behind a camera as a freelance editorial shooter. He switched careers when his son was born, earning a PhD in political science from UCLA specializing in American politics and research methods. This led to an opportunity to run a research center and teach at UCLA Law, where he became best known as an empirical bankruptcy scholar. After retiring from UCLA in 2016 he continued to consult, but now he and his wife Velda Ruddock spend much of their time in the field, across the West, capturing the landscape.

As a youth, John’s interest in photography stemmed from an interest in astronomy. His first photos were attempts to photograph the night sky using a folding Kodak camera, that once belonged to an uncle. Later, John used a 35mm rangefinder camera to photograph nature, particularly the San Gabriel Mountains above his home in La Crescenta. After high school, John sold his telescope to purchase a 35mm SLR camera outfit. John was a photography major in his first three years of college. He has used 35mm, 2-1/4 medium format and 4x5 view cameras. John expected to be a commercial photographer. His personal work leaned heavily to shooting landscapes and outdoors. In 1977 John changed majors. After graduating from California State University Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Urban Studies in 1979, John’s first post job college was in a commercial photo laboratory. In 1980, he pivoted from photography and began his 32-year career in public service. John worked for four Southern California cities in city planning, community development and redevelopment, and concluded his career as a Project Manager for the Culver City Redevelopment Agency. During these decades, he continued to shoot outdoor scenic images whenever possible. After retiring from public service in 2012, John has pursued his astronomical and photographic interests. Beginning in 2013, John has been a telescope operator for the 60" reflector telescope at Mt. Wilson Observatory. And John has increased his photographic portfolio concentrating on outdoors, landscape, travel and astronomical images. Beginning in 2018, he has expanded his repertoire to include architectural and real estate photography. Occasionally, John has been fortunate to have photographs selected for various exhibitions or publications. He currently shoots with Nikon DSLR cameras. John’s photographic websites: Landscape, Travel and Astronomical images http://www.johnfisanottiphotography.com; Architectural and Real Estate photography are at http://www.architecturalphotosbyfisanotti.com. Contact John at either jfisanotti@sbcglobal.net or fisanottifotos@gmail.com. 89

Phil Witt

Velda Ruddock

Phil Witt has been photographing nature since he got his first SLR camera in the late 70s. An avid birder, he is a volunteer at the Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary of NJ Audubon in Bernardsville, where he coleads the photography workshop series. He is currently on NJ Audubon’s Board of Directors. He is a past president of the Camera Naturalist Photo Club, and program chair of the Somerset County Camera Club. He judges photography competitions and presents instructional programs at photography clubs throughout New Jersey. He received the NJ Federation of Camera Club’s 2017 Citation for service to photography in the state.

Creativity has always been important to me. I received my first Brownie camera for my twelfth birthday and I can’t remember a time I’ve been without a camera close at hand. I studied the social sciences and art, and later earned a Masters degree in Information and Library Science degree. All of my jobs allowed me to be creative, entrepreneurial, and innovative. For the last 22 years of my research career I was Director of Intelligence for a global advertising and marketing agency. TBWA\ Chiat\Day helped clients such as Apple, Nissan, Pepsi, Gatorade, Energizer, and many more, and I was considered a leader in my field.

He and his wife enjoy traveling the world for photography--Antarctica, the Galapagos, Tanzania, Iceland, Costa Rica, among others.

During our time off, my husband, Joe Doherty and I would travel, photographing family, events and locations. However, in 2011 we traveled to the Eastern Sierra for the fall colors, and although we didn’t realize it at the time, when the sun came up over Lake Sabrina, it was the start of change in our careers.

When not birding or photographing, he is a (mostly retired) forensic psychologist, specializing in legal cases and court testimony. https://philwitt.smugmug.com

By 2016 we had both left our “day jobs,” and we started traveling – and shooting nature – big and small – extensively. Our four-wheel drive popup camper allowed us to go to areas a regular car can’t go and we were – and are – always looking for our next adventure.

Susan Manley

Paul Reinstein

Susan Manley has more than 35 years experience as a photographer. Her career consisted mainly working in a Communications Department writing and shooting a wide variety of public relations and photojournalism photos. Since she retired approximately ten years ago, she switched her focus onto nature photography including landscapes and wildlife in America.

I have two lifelong hobbies; photography and fine woodworking. My father fostered both those interests. At 14, right before I went on a 1 week backpacking trip around Yosemite Valley with my friend Joe (16) who could drive, my father taught me the basics of using a camera on an Olympus camera that shot half frames on 35mm film. Can you imagine allowing a 14 year old to do that in today’s world? By 20, I was fully independent. In my 20s, I bought a Minolta SRT101, and I also started dabbling in woodworking as a way to have simple furniture while working my way through college (Biochemistry, UCLA). I even had a simple B&W darkroom for a while. I shot mostly landscapes. After getting my degree, I decided I didn’t like working in that field, so I went back to school, and worked my way through a masters degree (Electronics Engineering, CSULB). I spent the majority of my career at The Aerospace Corp, working mostly on electrical power systems for rockets and satellites for the Air Force, NASA and the NRO. During that time, when not working, I began focusing mostly on fine woodworking, shooting occasional snapshots. By 50, my woodshop was enviable, my wife and I were flipping homes on the side, I was a manager at work, and digital cameras reignited my interest in photography. When the music stopped in real estate, we built our own home in Mar Vista. Then, my boss, and his boss both died unexpectedly (and independently), a huge layoff was announced, and I was retired. I got my general contractor’s license, and tried that for a couple of years. I retired fully at 60, earlier than I would have imagined.

ssnmanley@Yahoo.com

By 2016, I had amassed a number of bird photos, just by happenstance, so I decided to see what I could get that number up to, just for fun. That turned out to be eminently satisfying, albeit expensive, and now I spend much of my time shooting birds locally or travelling worldwide to do so. My big birding trips so far include the Galapagos and the UK, and my list is presently up to about 350 species, and I have a small presence on Instagram and on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/preinstein54/. I’ve sold a few images upon request, several of my friends have my images on their walls, and I still dabble in woodworking, including making my own frames.

Jeff Gottesman

Wiebe Gortmaker

I first became interested in photography back in high school sometime in the last century. My father worked for many years in a professional camera store in Pittsburgh (Kadet Photo Supply) where he did the picture framing.

I am based in Boulder, Colorado and consider myself a full-time hobbyist. After retiring from the airlines, I have devoted a high percentage of my time to travel and learning photography.

I spent a few summers working in that camera store mostly doing shipping and receiving but every chance I got, I would be talking with and learning from the salesmen who knew everything about cameras and photography.

In the past few years I have moved from travel photography to primarily wildlife and landscape photography. Prior to the airlines, I spent considerable time in remote areas of Alaska and Central and South America. I am now able to revisit those places with a focus on photography.

At the end of the summer they gave me a used Pentax Spotmatic 500 and there began my love of photography. I did all the shooting and darkroom work for my high school yearbook and later as a photographer and writer for college newspapers. At the same time, I developed a love of nature and graduated college with a degree in Geology (with several electives in Photography). That was where all the environmentalists spent their time.

I have lived in Colorado since college and spent a lot of time flying, hiking, and climbing in the wild places in my back yard. With my new hobby I am looking at these places in a new way, trying to preserve the image and feelings I have of the wildlife and landscape. This process motivates me to learn and discover.

The love of nature and photography were a perfect match and after retiring from IT a few years ago (there was a career change somewhere in there) I’ve returned to those early loves and am able to spend a lot more time on photography, enjoying workshops and especially the Sierra Club trips :).

Wiebe is concentrating on his photography at this time and is not currently active on social media. He does plan to have a website together in the near future.

My photos can be seen at https://www.jeffgottesmanphotography.com/

Joyce Harlan I have always loved photography! First to document and save photos of my sons. We had little to no money for film developing in the beginning but I kept shooting. Every year my husband would ask me what I wanted for Christmas/birthday and I would always say “develop my film”!! After several years he finally did, but everything was yellow but the memories were there. From there, when I was coaching downhill skiing for Westside Special Olympics, I took photos of my athletes and created a book for each of them. The pure joy I saw on their and their family’s faces was priceless!

Allen Johnson I'm a PhD in psychology with a passion

for photography. I'm also the author of several books: a memoir on France entitled "Pardon My French" and two novels: "The Awakening" and "Spike, Benny, and Boone."

Finally, I was at Mammoth skiing with my family (grandkids!!) and we had lunch at Bergers Burgers. They had the most gorgeous landscape photos on they walls. I asked the waitress about them and she said they were by Vern Clevenger and that he often came in for lunch after skiing and she would point him out for me. She did, I asked about workshops and he said “absolutely”. That was it!! I took one workshop from him and many, many more with Mountain Light in Bishop with Jack Dykinga, John Shaw, Jerry Dodrill, David Meunch and Jeff Foote. One of the most memorable was their ten day inaugural rafting the Grand Canyon trip with Jack & Jerry. Over the years I have been blessed to travel the world with Muench Workshops (Cuba, Yukon, Mongolia, Alaska) Visionary Wild (Botswana, Kenya, Patagonia, Greenland), Aurora Expenditions (Antarctica), and Nathaniel Smalley (Iceland, Maine fall color). Photography mixed with travel has been my favorite soul food for a long, long time. And will continue to be for as long as I am able. Sadly, I am missing a trip to China in April and Uganda in June to see the gorillas. But I’ll get there as soon as it is safe again.

Butch Mazzuca

John Nilsson

I was born in Chicago IL and attended the University of Dayton. After graduation I served four and half years as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps.

I have a fond memory from my early years of my father dragging me to the Denver Museum of Natural History on a winter Sunday afternoon. He had just purchased a Bosely 35mm camera and had decided he wanted desperately to photograph one of the dioramas. I distinctly remember the display was of several Seal Lions in a beautiful blue half-light of the Arctic winter that required a tricky long exposure. The transparency he showed me several weeks later was spectacular and mysterious to my young eyes. Although the demands of Medical School made this photo one of the first and last he shot, at 5 years old I was hooked.

My last official ‘work' position was President & CEO of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co-Denver. I Retired in 1999 and moved to Vail where I taught skiing, a “fundamentals of photography” class at our local community college and wrote (still do) commentary for the Vail Daily Newspaper. I Started taking pictures in 2008 when my wife Bobbi “talked me” into traveling to Africa (we returned seven more times! ) My images have been published in Shutter Bug Magazine, Sarasota Magazine, Travel Africa Magazine (5 times) and Africa Geographic (6 times including two photo essays) I consider myself a generalist although African wildlife and landscape photography are my favorites.

The arrival of the digital age brought photography back to me as a conscious endeavor - first as a pastime enjoyed with friends who were also afflicted, and then as a practitioner of real estate and architectural photography during my 40 years as a real estate broker. Since retiring and moving to Los Angeles, I have continued my hobby as a nature and landscape photographer through active membership in the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Camera Committee and my vocation as a real estate photographer through my company Oz Images LA. The camera is now a tool for adventure!

www.OzImagesLA.com dtlanow@gmail.com

David DesRochers

Larry Miller

In the summer of 2000, David traveled from New Jersey to Montana to visit Glacier National Park. With camera in hand, he attempted to capture the amazing wildlife and beautiful landscapes. Although his photos were somewhat disappointing, the experience inspired him to study the art of photography and travel the world to witness and capture the wonders of our natural world.

I bought my first SLR camera in 1985 to document hikes in the local mountains that I did with friends. My first Sierra Club Camera Committee outing was a wildflower photo shoot in the Santa Monica Mountains led by Steve Cohen in 1991. Since then the SCCC has introduced me to many other scenic destinations, including the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, the Gorman hills, Saddleback Butte State Park, East Mojave National Preserve, the Eastern and Southern Sierras, Point Reyes, the Big Sur Coast, the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Red Rock Canyon State Park, Tejon Ranch, and Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. At the same time, my own photography trips gradually expanded in scope over the years to include most of the western National Parks and National Monuments, with the Colorado Plateau becoming a personal favorite.

David is a member of the North American Nature Photography Association and an Associate Naturalist with The New Jersey Audubon Society. Over the past 15 years, David has shared his knowledge teaching workshops, leading tours, and writing articles. David’s photos have been recognized in several international competitions and have been published in books, magazines and on calendars. David is an accomplished public speaker and has appeared at events including the New England Camera Club Council Annual Conference (2014 & 2016), the Connecticut Association of Photographers and New Jersey Audubon's Birding Festival.

Photography is an avocation that took a backseat to my career during the 32+ years that I worked as a radar systems engineer at Hughes Aircraft/ Raytheon Company. Since retiring in 2013, I’ve been able to devote more time to developing my photographic skills. Experiencing and sharing the beauty of nature continues to be my primary motivation.

David's experience judging photo competitions has taken him as far as Budoia, Italy to judge the Bio Photo Contest. In 2014, David was awarded the New Jersey Federation of Camera Clubs Citation in recognition for his contributions to the advancement of the art and science of photography in the state.

www.desrochersphography.com

Thomas Loucks Tom has been a longstanding amateur photographer, but only in recent years has he had more serious time to devote to the hobby. He garnered first place in National Audubon’s 2004 Nature’s Odyssey contest and has placed well in several contests by Nature’s Best, Denver Audubon’s Share the View, and the Merrimack Valley’s George W. Glennie Nature Contest. He has two images of “Alumni Adventurers” on permanent display at Dartmouth College. He is also the incoming President of Mile High Photo Club in Denver (2021-2022) where he currently serves as VP and as a Director. His photographic interests are landscape, wildlife, and travel photography, though his favorite subjects are alpine landscapes. Recently retired, Tom is looking forward to spending more time on photography and other outdoor activities. He recently signed up as a volunteer with Denver Audubon to assist with field trips and hopes that those will soon resume.

Basil Katsaros A native of Denver, Colorado, I first attended Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Not understanding humidity or seeing the sun for 30 days, I transferred to the University of Colorado. During my junior year, a roommate needed money and sold me his Pentax 35mm camera. That moment launched my interest in photography. My interests and knowledge were expanded by the Nikon School of Photography. In the earlier days, subject matter centered around my twin sons with travel photos and Christmas cards. As a real estate appraiser, I used photography in much of my work. I must admit, however, the 70’s primarily utilized a Polaroid as film was too time consuming for client demands. I have since graduated to two Nikon digital cameras and too many lenses. While attempting to downshift in work, I occasionally use my photography skills to testify as an expert witness in real estate. My interests include travel, landscape, and wildlife photography. I’m not smart enough to have a website, maybe someone can show me how. Most images are for personal enjoyment and mainly remain in my computer. My goal at this time is too not only become a better photographer, but to conquer Photoshop!!!

Peter Bennett

Karen Schuenemann

My mother’s father was a studio photographer on the Coney Island Boardwalk, my father’s father was an artist in Germany, and my father was a filmmaker and amateur still photographer in New York, so naturally I decided to pursue a career in music. Luckily after hearing the error of my ways, I picked up my father’s old Nikkormat and haven’t looked back since.

Karen Schuenemann is a Nature and Wildlife photographer frequently found exploring the parks and wetlands of Southern California. In 2015, she left her retail management job to pursue her passion for Wildlife Photography. Her work focuses on “Urban Wilderness” and she spent over 100 days photographing the Red Foxes in her neighborhood in 2020 during the COVID 19 pandemic. She recently was awarded a Highly Commended Award-Bird Behavior in the 2018 Wildlife Photographer of the Year sponsored by the London Natural History Museum. Her work was exhibited in Davos, Switzerland at the World Economic Summit in 2019. In 2017 she was the Professional Honorable Mention in the National Audubon Contest. Her work has hung in the London Natural History Museum and has been included in shows at the San Diego Natural History Museum, The G2 Gallery, Palos Verdes Art Center and Armenia Conservation Show. She has been published in Nature’s Best, Audubon Magazine, USA Today, NANPA, Shadow and Light Magazine, and American Photo Magazine. In addition, she has garnered numerous awards from Best in Show in Los Angeles County Fair to Honorable Mention in the National Park Contest. She enjoys writing about her photographic adventures and has written articles for NANPA and enjoyed being a judge in several photography contests. She was the 2019 President for the Photography and Digital Artists group of the Palos Verdes Art Center and was the volunteer Faculty Coordinator for the NANPA High School Scholarship Program in Tennessee. She currently leads workshops to a variety of locations from Bosque Del Apache, to the Grand Tetons to Africa and Central America with her company, Wilderness At Heart Photography, LLC. She enjoys teaching classes at Samy’s Cameras in Los Angeles and Tuttle Cameras in Long Beach.

From 1998 to 2014 I ran my own stock agency, Ambient Images, which specialized in photos of New York and California. In 2015 I formed Citizen of the Planet, LLC, devoted exclusively to the distribution of my stories and work that focus on environmental subjects such as water and air quality issues, fossil fuels, drought, green construction, alternative energies and urban farming. My editorial work has appeared in numerous publications and books, and I am privileged to have my fine art prints hang in museums, the California State Capitol and many other private institutions and collectors. I’ve also had to opportunity to have worked with many local environmental organizations including FoLAR (Friends of the LA River), Heal the Bay, Algalita Marine Research Foundation, Communities for a Better Environment, and the LA Conservation Corps. I have been an instructor for over ten years at the Los Angeles Center of Photography (formerly the Julia Dean Photo Workshops). I love teaching photography and having the opportunity to pass on what I was given from all the amazing teachers I’ve had the honor to learn from.

Karen currently celebrates life with her husband and two dogs in St. George, Utah. 97

Bob Beresh

Bob Cates

Los Angeles is where commercial photographer Bob Beresh will always call home, but having recently relocated to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, he is truly a global creative. His commercial photography includes work for clients in automotive, aviation, corporate executive and business portraiture, architecture, and product work. Bob’s photos are influenced by his observations in nature, travel and sports to deliver memorable images.

Bob Cates led his first Camera Committee outing in 1975 as co-leader with Allan Der, so his roots go way back. He has chaired the Angeles Chapter History Committee since the mid-70s, and as such has archived tens of thousands of photographic images, many from his own documentation of Club outings, but also images donated from hundreds of Club members. He is primarily a nature/landscape photographer, but is also drawn to macrophotography— primarily of botanical subjects. Since 2015 he has lived in Pasadena and frequently may be found haunting the grounds of the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens.

Bob served two years as US Forest Service Artist in Residence to interpret and showcase the beauty of the Angeles National Forest and is past Chairman of the Sierra Club Camera Committee, Angeles Chapter.”

bentriver.co bobbereshstudio.com

100

Notes and Causes, Notes, Notes and Causes, and Announcements Announcements Announcements

101

Notes and Announcements Sierra Club National Chapter All In-Person Sierra Club Activities including Outtings and Meetings are Cancelled until July 5, 2021 due to Covid-19 Let’s all look forward to the second 1/2 of this new year!

102

Susan Manley Writes: In the past 10 years, I have been on many photo tours, some with better photo leaders than others. Two of the photo leaders who gave me great individual attention are David Swindler and Rod Barbee: David Swindler day/overnight/multi-day trips https://actionphototours.com/utah-photo-tours/ David along with Juan Pons also give free informational photography videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwxX4-m1RQOBH8gKOICO1Sw Rod Barbee workshops.BarbeePhotos.com Robert OToole See June 10 Program Notice this issue www.RobertOToolPhotography.com Susan Manley

103

The Camera Committee and Social Media: A Brief Guide by Joan Schipper

Do You FOLLOW the Camera Committee? Are you posting with our HASHTAG? Have you LIKED us? ♥ #? " If you are active on social media those questions will make sense. If not, read on to see how the Committee is engaging members and nonmembers via Instagram, Facebook and MeetUp. The Committee officially posts meetings and outings in the Camera Committee calendar and the Angeles Chapter Schedule of Activities, but we use these other tools to promote our events and share news. Some offer photo sharing opportunities. There are no fees associated with these platforms so it’s “easy” to engage. We find these tools offer access to a wide audience.

Here’s the rundown to help you figure out where we are and how you might want to participate.

The Camera Committee Website

https://www.sierraclub.org/angeles/camera-committee

Our internet home is our webpage on the Angeles Chapter portal. There you’ll find information about leaders and officers, outings and meetings. It’s a little shop-worn right now, but we have a shiny new website in the works and we think you will LOVE it.

Instagram @SCCameraCommittee

https://www.instagram.com/sccameracommittee/ Instagram was born with smartphone photos. Every post starts with a photo and usually carries a caption and keywords (or hashtags because they start with #).

we’ll provide links to our recorded programs.

Users follow us to see our newsy posts as they are released or just navigate to our profile page to see what’s new. We post meetings, outings and other news and

Instagram #SierraClubCameraCommittee

https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/sierraclubcameracommittee/ Posting with our hashtag #sierraclubcamearcommittee allows members to share their relevant photos with our followers. Following our hashtag allows users to see what others have posted, exchange comments, and “like” posts. Unique hashtags developed for specific activities will help identify photos from an outing or meeting (like #SCCCFallColors for our annual Fall Colors outing). 104 104

INSTAGRAM TIPS: You can easily view posts, like them, and make comments from your phone, or tablet. Desktop computer posting is somewhat more difficult. Most users post from a phone. I’ve had mixed reports on posting from a tablet, so if you try it, please give us some feedback!

MeetUp: Sierra Club Angeles Chapter: Camera Committee https://www.meetup.com/Sierra-Club-LA-Camera-Committee/

MeetUp may be our most popular social media platform for its activity focus. More than 800 people have “joined” our MeetUp. We like to think people find us on MeetUp and then join us in the Sierra Club. We promote our meetings and outings there and share activities from our partner group Sierra Club West Los Angeles. MeetUp has a gallery for each activity so participants can quickly and easily share photos from our outings. This is very social media. " % $ #

Facebook: Camera Committee - Angeles Chapter Sierra Club https://www.facebook.com/CameraCommitteeAngelesChapter

MeetUp may have our biggest audience but Facebook boasts the strongest hold on the Angeles Chapter in general according to usage statistics. The Committee has 142 Facebook followers. You will find our meetings and outings announced here, but you will also find our archive of recorded meetings going back to April 2020 as well as links to several back issues of Focal Points Magazine. Members may post photos here or “like” and comment. Our Facebook page could really use more attention. If you are a Facebook maven, maybe you’d like to devote a little time to the committee to polish our page? Contact either communications chair Velda Ruddock or Co-Communications Chair Joan Schipper at (communication.sccc@gmail.com).

Other Social Media Platforms? If any member would like to see the Committee expand into other social media platforms, we’d like to hear from you. Contact Joan or Velda, please! 105

105

Get out there and get involved! Our natural world is under attack and we all need to fight to preserve the things that we hold dear.

CONTRIBUTE

YOUR TIME, YOUR DOLLARS.... OR BOTH! Do you know anyone who would like to become a member of the Sierra Club Camera Committee? We are seeking new members to share their outdoor experiences and photographs. If you have a friend or acquaintance whom you feel would benefit from and add to our membership, please ask them to join us at our next meeting.

Membership costs only $15.00 per year - a tremendous value! To join or renew, please mail a check for $15 (payable to SCCC): Wesley Peck, SCCC Membership 3615 Gondar Ave. Long Beach, CA 90808-2814

More members - More to share 107

107

The Member’s Choice Photo Contest What’s your favorite photo in this Focal Points? Continuing with this issue I am asking all members to vote for their favorite photo. Here’s how: 1. Please e-mail me at dtlanow@gmail.com (Heading: Member’s Choice) and let me know your choice for the best photo by the 20th of the month in which the issue is published. 2. In your e-mail, give me the page and the name of the photographer and a brief descrip- tion so I can identify your choice. I will tally up the votes and announce the winner in the next issue and republish the photo with a paragraph from the photographer about how it was captured, where, when, and even the dreaded mire of camera, settings and lens. This should be a fun feature!

..........John Nilsson, Publisher

Wanna Go on a Hike? Just in case you didn’t realize it........... The Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club has litterally 100’s of outdoor activities that Sierra Club Camera Committee members can attend.

You can find these activities at http://angeles.sierraclub.org/activities If you have an idea for a trip that the Camera Committee might like to plan for, tell a leader. They are always open to ideas of new places to go, new places to shoot. See the end of the newsletter for a list of contact information for the leaders. CST 2087766-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California. All participants on Sierra Club outings are required to sign a standard liability waiver. To read the liability waiver before you participate on an outing, go to: http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/chapter/forms

108

Focal Points

Angeles Chapter Camera Committee Magazine November 2020

Focal Points Sierra Club Camera Committee Magazine December, 2020

Focal Points Sierra Club Camera Committee Magazine January 2021

Do you enjoy receiving your monthly copy of Focal Points? If your answer is "Yes" and you want to continue receiving Focal Points, please send us your check for $15.00 and your full name and email address for a yearly subscription to: Sierra Club Camera Committee c/o Wesley Peck 3615 Gondar Ave. Long Beach, CA 90808-2814

As a bonus, you will enjoy: An invitation to contribute your photographs to Focal Points for publication Full membership in The Sierra Club Camera Committee and access to our extensive programming and trips 109

109

Photo of the Month

Mass Exodis at Sunrise By: Phil Witt

110

Olympus E-M1X Olympus M.100-400 F5.0-6.3 Lens f/6.3 @ 1/1600, ISO 800 110

The Parting Shot

Who Knows How High She Will Fly! Leader Contacts John Nilsson, Chairman Leader, Editor - Focal Points information.sccc@gmail.com

Steve Anderson, Leader

sandersonimagery@outlook.com

Carole Scurlock, Leader

213-266-2224

cscurlock@charter.net

Allan Der, Leader, ader@sprynet.com

714-962-2054

John Boyle, Leader jboyle6300@gmail.com

ed5ogawa@angeles.sierraclub.org

310-994-1019

Wesley Peck, Membership

562-420-8543 wesdpeck@gmail.com NOTE: Send Membeship Checks to Wesley at 3615 Gondar Ave., Long Beach, CA 90808-2814

310-828-6300

Joan Schipper, Leader, Co-Chair: Outings joanschipper@ix.netcom.com

714-892-4857

Ed Ogawa - Treasurer

Alison Boyle, Leader, Co-Chair: Outings alisoniboyle@icloud.com

626-794-5207

Peter Mason, Leader

323-828-8334

peter@petermason.com

111

530-265-2528

111

Focal Points Magazine - Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Camera Committee, July 2021

Articles inside

Contributor's Bio's