May 16 Program: Top Tips for Stunning Cityscapes by Jim Nix

Jim will share his favorite tips for capturing beautiful cityscapes, along with plenty of example photos. These tips are all simple and straightforward, but really help you craft gorgeous travel photos.

Jim Nix is a travel photographer and YouTuber based in Austin, Texas. His photographic interests include broad cityscapes and intimate street photographs. Jim has a colorful and expressive style and a strong preference for shooting at the edges of the day, where soft light and shadow help create the dramatic and moody sentiments his photographs embody.

He loves to convey his artistic vision through editing tutorials, which he publishes several times a week on YouTube, and he encourages his viewers to experiment with their editing techniques in order to find their own creative voice.

Meeting Information: Visitors are welcome. We meet on the first floor, Room E112. Prior to the start of the meeting, we will have a member at the covered walkway door to direct you. If unable to attend in person, you may register for a Zoom link on our website, kwphotoclub.com. On the main page, scroll to EVENTS. Click on the May 16 calendar event and complete the registration information. A link will be sent to your email.

Hope you to see you!

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April 18 Program: Animalscapes: Wildlife + Landscapes

Tomorrow night our speaker, Ron Niebrugge, will share many tips and techniques for making Animalscapes: Wildlife+Landscapes. One of the things he likes about this presentation, you don’t need long telephoto lenses or expensive camera equipment to put the tips he will share into practice. Someone with a cell phone camera can utilize these same techniques.

Ron leads many photo tours both in his home state of Alaska and throughout the US and Antarctica. Ron takes guests to his favorite places at the best time of year, taking advantage of his many years as a professional photographer. You can learn much more about these trips at AlaskaPhotoTours.com.

When not shooting stock or leading photo tours Ron keeps busy with assignment work; past assignments have taken Ron to remote areas of Kenai Fjords National Park on behalf of the Park Service, up a 3,000 foot mountain covering a mountain race for Runner’s World, into Prince William Sound during the winter for Continental Airlines Magazine, remote areas of the Inside Passage for Four Seasons Tours and the luxury resort property of Ritz-Carlton in Rancho Mirage.

Meeting Information: Visitors are welcome. We meet on the first floor, Room E112. Prior to the start of the meeting, we will have a member at the covered walkway door to direct you. If unable to attend in person, you may register for a Zoom link on our website, kwphotoclub.com. On the main page, scroll to EVENTS. Click on the April 18 calendar event and complete the registration information. A link will be sent to your email.

Hope you to see you!

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April 18 Program: Animalscapes = Wildlife + Landscape

Our speaker this month is professional photographer Ron Niebrugge. Ron believes some of the most compelling wildlife photography includes the animal and the surrounding environment where the animal resides.  It tells more of a story and adds an interesting element you don’t find in tight portraits.   Ron is going to share many tips and techniques for making this type of photography possible.  One of the things he likes about this presentation; you don’t need long telephotos lenses or expensive camera equipment to put these tips into practice.  Someone with a cell phone camera can utilize these same techniques. 

In 2002, Ron, along with his wife Janine, decided to follow Ron’s passion for photography on a full-time basis leaving comfortable corporate jobs for the unknown life of a professional photographer. Ron has never looked back!

Ron is pleased to have among his clients such business as National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, Walt Disney World, Smithsonian, National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service, Sony and Ford along with a number of large advertising agencies. Ron’s images have appeared in many books and publications including Sunset, Alaska Magazine, Audubon and Sierra Club Calendars, Country and Fortune Magazine to name a few. Aside from Ron’s own stock photo agency, Niebrugge Images, he is also represented by seven other stock agencies in six countries.

In 2010 Ron and Janine expanded their business and began offering photo tours in their home state of Alaska. Ron takes guests to his favorite places at the best time of year, taking advantage of his many years here as a professional photographer. Ron also leads many photo tours both in his home state of Alaska and throughout the US and Antarctica. You can learn much more about these trips at AlaskaPhotoTours.com.

Meeting Information: Visitors are welcome. We meet on the first floor, Room E112. Prior to the start of the meeting, we will have a member at the covered walkway door to direct you. If unable to attend in person, you may register for a Zoom link on our website, kwphotoclub.com. On the main page, scroll to EVENTS. Click on the April 18 calendar event and complete the registration information. A link will be sent to your email.

Hope you to see you!

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TOMORROW NIGHT, March 21: The Beauty and Challenges of Underwater Photography

David Lenderman, current President of the Houston Underwater Photographic Society, will share why he is drawn to underwater photography, some major challenges of underwater photography and how dealing with these challenges has made him a better topside photographer.  And of course, he will share some of his favorite underwater images created in Indonesia, Phillippines and Socorro Islands, Mexico.

David was SCUBA certified in 1989.  In an attempt to share the amazing underwater world with non-diving friends and family members, he began taking photos underwater in the early 90s.  By 1998 he decided to really work on improving his underwater photography. 

As part of his drive to improve, David joined the Houston Underwater Photographic Society and learned a tremendous amount from the more experienced members.  David ended up becoming very active in HUPS, eventually serving as board member, VP and President.  During his time as a HUPS member David has been awarded Member of the Year, Advanced Photographer of the Year and HUPS Lifetime Achievement Awards. 

Underwater he has photographed everything from 1/2” long pygmy seahorses to forty-foot-long Humpback whales.  In pursuit of underwater subjects David has traveled to many exotic locations around the world.  His favorite destinations are the biodiversity hotspots of Indonesia and the Philippines. 

David Lenderman – Topside

David can’t be underwater all the time so he also dabbles in nature, travel and even portrait photography.

Visitors are welcome. We meet on the first floor, Room E112. Prior to the start of the meeting, we will have a member at the covered walkway door to direct you. If unable to attend in person, you may register for a Zoom link on our website, kwphotoclub.com. On the main page, click on the March 21 calendar event.

Hope you can join us!

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March 21 Program: The Beauty and Challenges of Underwater Photography

Our speaker David Lenderman is the current President of the Houston Underwater Photographic Society. David will share why he is drawn to underwater photography, some major challenges of underwater photography and how dealing with these challenges has made him a better topside photographer. And of course, he will share some of his favorite underwater images created in Indonesia, Phillippines and Socorro Islands, Mexico.

David Lenderman – Underwater Selfie

Visitors are welcome. We meet on the first floor, Room E112. Prior to the start of the meeting, we will have a member at the covered walkway door to direct you. If unable to attend in person, you may register for a Zoom link on our website, kwphotoclub.com. On the main page, click on the March 21 calendar event.

Hope you can join us!

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February 21 Program: Becoming a Better Wildlife Photographer and Photographing Wildlife Around the Globe

Hector D. Astorga is a full-time wildlife photographer based in South Texas.  His love of nature and the outdoors began as a child in his native country, Honduras. He is the ranch manager at the Santa Clara Ranch, a photography ranch that hosts wildlife photographers from all over the globe. He also leads and conducts photography tours & workshops at multiple locations in North, Central, and South America, Scandinavia, and Africa.

This presentation is for individuals that want to take their wildlife photography to the next level. Hector will share the techniques that he uses while in the field photographing wildlife. Perspective, camera settings, reaction time, and composing in the camera are some of the topics he will discuss with us. He will share how he photographs and how he plans ahead of a photo outing. This process has made him very successful in creating his wildlife images. He will share the images he creates at home in Texas and many of the wonderful places he visits like Africa, Scandinavia and Latin America.

In 2019 Hector’s image of a Three-toed Sloth w/ baby won the prestigious Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards Wildlife Category. With over 25,000 entries from photographers in 63 different countries the Nature’s Best competition is one of the premier nature photography competitions in the world. He is also a six-time Grand Prize winner of the Wildlife in Focus and Valley Land Fund Photography competitions. From 2008 thru 2017 he won 1st Grand Prize four times, 2nd Grand Prize once and also has a 3rd Grand Prize finish. He won top honors in the 2009 National Wildlife Federation Photography Contest and in the 2012 Rocky Mountain Outdoor Writers and Photographers Photography competition. In 2016, one of his images was selected as a “Best of Show” by the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) in their Annual Showcase competition. His images have been in the Top NANPA Showcase awards for the last eight years in a row.

His work is featured in Nature’s Best Magazine, Audubon Magazine, National Wildlife Federation Magazine, Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, National Geographic Guide Books, Ranger Rick Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, Quail Unlimited, and other national and regional publications.

In 2020 Hector was named one of the “We Will Not Be Tamed” Ambassadors for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. The Ambassadors are a group of remarkable Texan outdoorsmen and women who stand together and tell their stories about Texas, the place that has given them so much. He uses his photography for many conservation projects around the state.


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Tuesday, January 17 – Tomorrow Night’s Program

Please join us for a photographic travel adventure through Texas.

Great Places for Great Photos in Texas

Our speaker, Greg Disch, has photographed throughout the country but for this meeting he will focus on our state of Texas.  He will show us that we don’t have to travel the world to get outstanding photography subjects.  Greg will concentrate his presentation on sites we can travel to right here in Texas.  Come get some ideas for your next trip! 

Click on image to enlarge; then use arrow on side of image to view next image.

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January 17 Program: Great Places for Great Photos in Texas

Good photography does not require a lot of travel. Usually, we have a great advantage when photographing locally to choose the time, weather, season, and lighting conditions to get the best image. 

Our speaker, Greg Disch, could give us a presentation that would last for hours from all the subjects he has photographed throughout the country but for this meeting he will focus on our state of Texas.  He will show us that we don’t have to travel the world to get outstanding photography subjects.  Greg will concentrate his presentation on sites we can travel to right here in Texas.  Come get some ideas for your next trip! 

Our speaker, Greg Disch, began his photography career in 1977 with a 35mm SLR and pursued it vigorously as a hobby for several years before joining a local camera club.  He did well in the contests and became known as an excellent photographer in the area and began doing some freelance work, wedding, portraits, ball teams etc.

He found himself photographing things he wasn’t all that interested in photographing and all his weekends taken. So, in 1990 he decided to make a career change and became involved in the computer business.  Time for photography disappeared. 

January 2005, Greg decided to renew his photography interest and of course by this time digital was the way to go.  He is now putting to use his computer knowledge and photographic knowledge to teach and support digital photography through classes and workshops.  And unlike before, now his photography is based upon his love of the outdoors, nature, and wildlife.

Please join us for a photographic travel adventure through Texas.

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