Our January Speaker’s Book can be ordered online. Click Here. You can watch the presentation by clicking in the monthly meeting box in the right column or here.
January 18 Program: 25 Years of Texas Parks & Wildlife Photography
Our speaker, Earl Nottingham, is considered one of Texas’ preeminent photographers. He attended the Art Institute of Atlanta and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Photography from East Texas State University.
After operating as a freelance photographer for several years, he took over as chief photographer for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1996, where he then served for 25 years, retiring in 2021. His assignments for TPWD and its magazine took him to every corner of the state, documenting its landscape, people and historical treasures. Based in Temple, Texas, Earl continues shooting professional assignments and teaching workshops.
Earl will speak about the many ways that TPWD is involved in conservation efforts throughout Texas outdoors and the way photography is used to bring it to the public’s attention through engaging images.
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How Lenses Work
A big thank you to Tamron USA rep, Armando Flores for speaking to our club about how lenses work. Enjoy the video.
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March Club Meeting Speaker
John StacyI’m a Texas Master Naturalist with over a decade monitoring local conservation preserves. This is a volunteer activity with the Bayou Land Conservancy, a local non-profit land trust, protecting over 14,000 acres for flood control, wildlife, and water quality. I also lead a trail crew of sixty volunteers who built and maintain the Spring Creek Nature Trail. This is an unpaved wilderness trail system over fifteen miles in length with twenty-eight bridges and boardwalks.I’ll be presenting a short program discussing some of the plants and animals common to our area. It’s not possible to cover everything, but I’ll try to answer any questions.
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See Everyone tomorrow night – May 19 Program: Lessons Learned in Isolation
This is a Members Only Scheduled Zoom Meeting – Pre-registration is required
Professional photographer, Kathy Adams Clark will share things she learned while playing & working during this time. Microphones, computer cameras, sound quality, audio quality, lighting for video conferences, plus macro photography, backyard photography, flower photography, and other things she has worked on during this time inside.
Please join us for another delightful evening sharing our love of photography!
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May 19 Program: Lessons Learned in Isolation
This is a Members Only Scheduled Zoom Meeting
Professional photographer, Kathy Adams Clark will share things she learned while playing/working during this time. Microphones, computer cameras, sound quality, audio quality, lighting for video conferences, plus macro photography, backyard photography, flower photography, and other things she has worked on during this time inside.
Kathy has been a professional nature photographer since 1995. She is the owner of a stock agency called KAC Productions that represents the work of fifteen outstanding nature photographers. Kathy’s work has been published in many well-known, well-respected newspapers and magazines. Her photos have also appeared in ad campaigns, guidebooks, textbooks, and brochures. In addition, her photos appear every week in the “Nature” column in the Houston Chronicle written by her husband, Gary, and have appeared in all of Gary’s books. In addition, Gary and Kathy have worked on seven book projects over the years. “Texas Wildlife Portfolio”, “Texas Gulf Coast Impressions”, “Portrait of Houston”, “Texas: A Photographic Journey”, “Backroads of the Texas Hill Country”, “Enjoying Big Bend National Park” and “Photographing Big Bend National Park”.
Kathy teaches photography through Leisure Learning in Houston and at local and national events. She leads photo tours in the United States and abroad for Strabo Tours. Kathy is Past-President of the North American Nature Photography Association.
Visit www.kathyadamsclark.com to see more about Kathy’s tours, classes and her nature photography images. You can also follow her at kathyadamsclark.blogspot.com.
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Trains, Trains & More Trains!
Z O O M …… Yes, Zoom Meeting Tuesday, April 21 @ 6:30 p.m.
Program: Tunnel Vision: Concentrate on Your Preferred Subject
Our speaker, Ken Fitzgerald, works as a full-time photographer in the railroad industry. Ken is also a model railroader and locomotive horn collector.
Join us as he shares his love of trains & photography talent!
Hope you join us Tuesday evening!
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April 21 Program: Tunnel Vision: Concentrate on Your Preferred Subject
This is a Members Only Scheduled Zoom Meeting
While having paid his dues over the years documenting the usual weddings and real estate, at the end of the day, our speaker, Ken Fitzgerald would rather be remembered for his railroad photography. If there is one subject you are knowledgeable about, consider using your skills with a camera to be in the right place at the right time to record definitive images. Ken will share his favorite train-related photos and how he applied this thought to capture and record moments in history.
Ken began his lifelong passion for railroads in 1960 at the age of five while spending his summers in Sweetwater, Texas riding Trains at the Santa Fe yard. Taking a photography course at age 12 allowed him to start capturing the railroad’s people, operations, equipment and character for historical purposes.
Since that time his photography has appeared in many different railroad magazines, books and calendars. He also authored the books “Dallas Then and Now” in 2014 and “Train Stations Then and Now” in 2017 along with doing the principal photography for the Houston, San Antonio, Austin and “Texas Then and Now” books. He has also produced several other photo books of his work that were written as internal publications for different railroad companies.
Today Ken works as a full-time photographer in the railroad industry. In 2019 alone he documented several major railroad engineering projects; the startup of the DFW TEXRail commuter service; the operation of Union Pacific’s “Big Boy” steam locomotive across south Texas; the CSX Santa Train as celebrity Marty Stuart’s personal photographer; and BNSF’s Holiday Express across the Pacific Northwest. Ken is also a model railroader and locomotive horn collector.
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February Speaker Mike Marvins “Texas – Central and Way out West”
Our speaker, Mike Marvins, was a treasurer. He shared some of his gorgeous photos of Texas, his journey and love of where he lives and what he does with his camera.
Having grown up in Texas he has a lot of memories going back to summer camp in the Kerrville area so he really knows this area. The slide show featured photos that he used in the two books that he has for sale “The Texas Hill Country, A Photographic Adventure” and Texas’ Big Bend, A Photographic Adventure”. Both can be purchased on Amazon. For those who bought on Tuesday, he graciously autographed them!
Mike talked about his method of photography and his default settings along with some post-processing tips. He always exposes them for the lightest section of the scene, usually the sky. He does this because it is easier to bring up the shadows than to bring pull down the highlights. If your histogram is totally to the right, you have blown out your pixels and will never get them back. His favorite lens is a zoom lens. He stated they get a bad rep but he keeps his on the camera and does not need to change lenses in the field which can result in a sensor cleaning for $100 or more. He likes the zoom for the same reason that I do, you have choices with composition. You can get a fairly wide view or zoom to the action or subject. I personally use my 28-300mm for most of my travel photography and even photographing the Wings over Houston air show.
He shared stores of his wife driving him around and yelling stop when the scene is something that he has to capture. His wife is very adept at impromptu parking. In his slideshow The Texas Hill Country he talked about the Edwards Plateau and the beauty found there. The road “Twisted Sisters” is the most dangerous drive in Texas. The link below is an article about location and information about the roads.
The Edwards Plateau is mostly limestone and all the rainfall percolates to the underground streams that feed some of the most beautiful streams in Texas. Because these streams have a rock bottom they are clear and on a sunny day will have that beautiful blue sky reflection.
Another piece of advice from Mike, always have your camera with you and ready for that spontaneous shot. He explained that when doing workshops sometimes you pull over for a very short time. Participants that have huge bags of camera gear are still trying to figure out what lens to use still getting the tripod out and he’s telling everyone back to the cars. He doesn’t fool around so some may totally miss the shot. That is another habit of mine as my husband was quick to point out, my camera is always with me and I don’t keep a lens cap on so I am always ready for action.
Pam Walton talked with Mike after the meeting and asked if he would do a workshop for the club. He was very receptive to doing one, probably in the fall and will get back to us with dates so this would be a fall out-of-town trip. More information to come.
Mike was also very kind to let us post his two slide shows which members only can view in our resource section. These are mostly photos with some screenshots of post-process with before and after shots. Also, many famous quotes that he likes. It was a well attended and well-received presentation. Thank you, Connie Emerson, for arranging Mike and we’ll look forward to listening to Kathy Adams Clark in March. Another fantastic speaker.
You can also follow Mike on Facebook: Mike Marvins Photography
Below is one of Mike’s quotes from his slideshow:
Visual Ideas combined with technique, combined with personal interpretation, equals a photograph. Each must hold its own or the thing collapses.
Ansel Adams
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See you tomorrow night!
Texas-Central and Way Out West
Landscape photography and how to keep it simple and still produce some super work.
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