Club Calendar 2024-2025

Celebrating 125 Years

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Zoom Links for Meetings
For the link to an upcoming Zoom meeting, click here and choose the meeting you want to join. Note: you must be signed into your Google account that uses the same email address that is used in the PCC_mbr email distribution list.

September

Welcome newcomers and returning members! At this in-person meeting at the Woodfords Club (directions), we will start with an introduction to the Portland Camera Club and our activities for the year. The club's officers and executive board will be introduced. Then on to the Summer Print Challenge.

The theme for the Summer Print Challenge is A Trail in Maine.

  • Everyone—members and non-members—are welcome to participate.
  • Photograph any trail in Maine this summer. Image must be taken after 6/1/24 and before 9/9/24.
  • Bring one print of your best Maine trail shot to the first meeting on Sep 9th.
  • Prints must be 8"x10" or larger, up to a maximum of 18"x24" including the mat; however, a mat is optional.
  • Prints must be mounted (foamcore, gatorboard, cardboard, etc.) so the print will stand up on display racks.
  • No need to write your name on the back of the print.
  • A winner will be selected by popular vote at the meeting! The winner will receive a free PCC membership for one year.

Important: be sure to pay before Sept 9th (deadline extended). Pay online (click here) or mail a check for $41/person payable to "Portland Camera Club" to the PCC Treasurer:
Steve Painter
6 Wildwood Ave
Kennebunkport, ME 04046-7425

For details about the boat tour, click here.

Directions to the Maine Maritime Museum.

This is an in person meeting. 6:00pm Equipment Sale (see below). 7:00pm a discussion where members and newcomers are invited to show an image as a way of introducing yourself and your interest in photography. This will be a welcoming and supportive discussion.

  • Submit one image in advance of the meeting.  Deadline for submissions is Sat Sep 14th.
  • Images must be in JPEG/JPG format and sized to a maximum width of 1920px, and max height 1080px.
  • Name your image file your-name-image-title.jpg (for example, Ansel-Adams-Yosemite-Valley.jpg)
  • Email your image file to pccupload@gmail.com. You will receive a confirmation email within 72 hours.

Equipment Sale: Starting at 6:00pm, the club will be selling all the equipment that was donated over the summer. Please note:

  • Click here for a list of the equipment for sale.
  • Only paid club members can purchase gear.
  • First come, first served.
  • Check (preferred), credit card and cash accepted.
  • All gear is sold in "as is" condition, no returns or warranty.
  • There will be a table of lesser value items that will be available for a good will offering to the club.
  • Once an item is purchased, it must be taken away that night. Items will not be held for later.

(Click here for Zoom meeting link)  There will be changes in how PI Competitions are done this year. The Competition Committee will update members and explain the new process for judging PI Competitions.

At this in person meeting, we'll view a beautiful slideshow presented by our guest speaker and slideshow creator, Barbara Rozavsky, Membership Vice President, NECCC. Afterwards, we'll break into groups to review and discuss high scoring images from past PCC competitions.

Photo Walk dates and locations to be announced.

October

(Click here for Zoom meeting link)  We'll discuss images in an open, supportive way. Images are not judged or scored. All members are encouraged to submit one image.

  • Deadline for submissions is Fri Oct 4th.
  • Images must be in JPEG/JPG format and sized to a maximum width of 1920px, and max height 1080px.
  • Name your image file your-name-image-title.jpg (for example, Ansel-Adams-Yosemite-Valley.jpg)
  • Email your image file to pccupload@gmail.com. You will receive a confirmation email within 72 hours.

The online entry form must be submitted by Oct 12 for the competition on Oct 19. The mailed-in prints must be received by Oct 12 also. If you choose to drop off your print(s) in person, bring the print(s) to the competition site, Greater Lynn Photographic Association Headquarters, between 9:30-10:30am on Oct 19. For all the competition details, click here.

(Click here for Zoom meeting link)  Professional photographer and workshop leader Jacki Spearly will present on Lensbaby lenses and how to shoot creatively with them. Visit Jacki's website: www.jackispearlyphotography.com

Friday, October 18, 8am · Fall Photo Excursion (leaving from McDonald's, So. Portland)

All are welcome! We will leave at 8:00AM from the McDonald’s in South Portland by the Mall (map/location). Get there earlier for breakfast if you would like. We will first go to Hacker’s Hill in Casco (a popular spot that we visited last year with views from Sebago Lake to the White Mountains). From there, we will travel to Brackett’s Apple Orchard in Limington followed by a trip to Libby's Apple Orchard not far from Brackett’s (both locations offer some great photo opps). From Libby’s, we will drive to Cornish with a stop at Sokokis Lookout (beautiful views) on the way. We will have lunch at BayHaven Seafood Restaurant in Cornish (one of the best!). After lunch, we will travel down Route 25 with a stop at the Bonny Eagle Recreation Area along the Saco River (great opportunity to photograph water rapids). From there we will return to South Portland. I expect to be back at McDonald’s by mid-afternoon –Dick Sawyer

We'll meet to discuss prints in an open, supportive way. Images are not judged or scored. All members are encouraged to bring in one print.

At this in person meeting, we'll hear from five different members about what gear they use. Each will give a brief talk about the brand of camera they use, lenses, etc. Come and hear from users of Nikon, Fuji, Sony, Olympus and Canon.

November

Monday, November 4, 7pm · Projected Image Competition (Zoom)

(Click here for Zoom meeting link)  A last-minute change at the Woodfords Club requires us to hold this meeting via Zoom instead of in person. The deadline for competition images was Oct 24th.

(Click here for Zoom meeting link)  A discussion night viewing members' images of autumn. Members are invited to submit one image.

  • Deadline for submissions is Fri Nov 8th.
  • Images must be in JPEG/JPG format and sized to a maximum width of 1920px, and max height 1080px.
  • Name your image file your-name-image-title.jpg (for example, Ansel-Adams-Yosemite-Valley.jpg)
  • Email your image file to pccupload@gmail.com. You will receive a confirmation email within 72 hours.

We will break into two groups:

  • Mounting and Matting. Bill Shumaker will cover the archival qualities of the various materials, mat cutting using the Logan mat cutter, and assembly of the mounted print to professional standards and for use at the PCC, which is cheaper and faster.
  • Work flow using the iPhone and iPad from creating the image to preparation for printing with Dick Sawyer. He will share his techniques for making images on the iPhone using Portrait mode and Photo mode with live view and other available tools in the Camera app. He will then share his editing process on the iPad beginning with selecting and organizing images and then walk through the editing tools he uses, including mobile Lightroom and Retouch, to prepare the image for print.

A relaxed evening. Bring 1 or 2 prints of holiday or other gatherings of family/friends photos you are willing to share and talk about the "backstory" of the photos and how they were or weren’t staged, the lighting conditions, camera used, settings/film (if remembered), and anything else you’d like to say about the images.

December

(Click here for Zoom meeting link)  Competition Submission Guidelines:

  • Deadline for submissions is Fri Nov 21st.
  • Click here for details about rules regarding AI-generated content.
  • One image per member. JPEG/JPG format only. Images should not exceed maximum width 1920px and maximum height 1080px.
  • Digital matting is not allowed. A single white stroke around the image, or no stroke, are acceptable.
  • Name your image file your-name-image-title.jpg (for example, Ansel-Adams-Yosemite-Valley.jpg)
  • Email your image file to pccupload@gmail.com. You will receive a confirmation email within 72 hours.

Photo walk dates and locations to be announced.

At this in person meeting, we welcome the Portland Press Herald's Chief Photographer, Gregory Rec.

Gregory has worked at the Press Herald since 1997, photographing a wide range of subjects. He was twice embedded with Maine Army National Guard troops in Iraq. In 2004, he was named Journalist of the Year with columnist Bill Nemitz by the Maine Press Association for their work in Iraq. Visit him on Instagram: www.instagram.com/gregoryrecpph/

An enjoyable evening of member slideshows from past years.

Slideshow Guidelines:

  • Submission dates: submit your slideshow (i.e., use WeTransfer to send your .MP4 file) between Tue Dec 10 and not later than Fri Dec 13.
  • Use WeTransfer (a free program) to send in your .MP4 file. When WeTransfer prompts you for a destination email, enter mleonard@maine.rr.com – Mike Leonard is collecting the slideshows for presentation at the meeting.
  • Family appropriate content, please.
  • Create (export) your slideshow as an .MP4 file (1080P at 30fps).
  • Shows should be not longer than 4 minutes.
  • Royalty Free or your own original music
  • First "slide" should include the slideshow title and your name.
  • After all of the image slides, add a slide that provides music attribution (song title, artist).
  • The final slide should be a black slide. This will help with transitions from one slideshow to the next.

January

(Click here for Zoom meeting link)  Teachers and last year’s recipient of the Latimer-Hutchinson Scholarship will join us for a discussion about the photographic arts being taught in high schools.

(Click here for Zoom meeting link)  A Presentation by Rob Smith on how to prepare an image file for printing, including sizing and resolution.

We'll meet to discuss prints in an open, supportive way. Images are not judged or scored. All members are encouraged to bring in one print.

(Click here for Zoom meeting link)  Landscape photographer Craig Shaknis will give a presentation on his trip to Antarctica. Visit Craig's website: craigshaknisphotography.com

February

(Click here for Zoom meeting link)  Competition Submission Guidelines:

  • Deadline for images: Thursday, Jan 23rd.
  • Click here for details about rules regarding AI-generated content.
  • One image per member. JPEG/JPG format only. Images should not exceed maximum width 1920px and maximum height 1080px.
  • Digital matting is not allowed. A single white stroke around the image, or no stroke, are acceptable.
  • Name your image file in the format your name-title.jpg, for example, Ansel-Adams-Winter-Storm-Yosemite.jpg
  • Send your image file by email to pccupload@gmail.com (every entry receives a confirmation within 72 hrs).

An in person presentation by Regan Bell, owner of Maine Photo Works, a custom print shop in Portland. Her talk will describe what a photographer can expect when having MPW make a print, and she'll describe the variety of papers available, with samples on hand.

(Click here for Zoom meeting link)  A presentation by Mike Leonard on black & white photography.

(Click here for Zoom meeting link)  A discussion night viewing members' images of autumn.

  • Deadline for submissions is Fri Feb 21.
  • Images must be in JPEG/JPG format and sized to a maximum width of 1920px, and max height 1080px.
  • Name your image file your-name-image-title.jpg (for example, Ansel-Adams-Yosemite-Valley.jpg)
  • Email your image file to pccupload@gmail.com. You will receive a confirmation email within 72 hours.

March

(Click here for Zoom meeting link)  We'll discuss images in an open, supportive way. Images are not judged or scored. All members are encouraged to submit one image.

  • Deadline for submissions is Fri Feb 28th.
  • Images must be in JPEG/JPG format and sized to a maximum width of 1920px, and max height 1080px.
  • Name your image file your-name-image-title.jpg (for example, Ansel-Adams-Yosemite-Valley.jpg)
  • Email your image file to pccupload@gmail.com. You will receive a confirmation email within 72 hours.

We'll meet to discuss prints in an open, supportive way. Images are not judged or scored. All members are encouraged to bring in one print.

(in person) Jack Montgomery is a fine art photographer working in portraits and landscapes. In recent years, Jack has used the photogravure process to create subtle, beautiful prints.

Visit Jack's website: www.jackmontgomeryphotography.com

The online entry form must be submitted by Mar 22 for the competition on Mar 29. The mailed-in prints must be received by Mar 22 also. If you choose to drop off your print(s) in person, bring the print(s) to the competition site, Greater Lynn Photographic Association Headquarters, between 9:30-10:30am on Mar 29. For all the competition details, click here.

(In-person meeting)  Always a popular, entertaining night of short slideshows by PCC members. Family, friends, anyone is welcome to join us to watch the shows. Submissions by members only.

Note: To watch a video about how to create a slideshow using Lightroom, click here. For a video about using WnSoft's PicturesToExe, click here.

Slideshow Guidelines:

  • Submission dates: submit your slideshow (i.e., use WeTransfer to send your .MP4 file) by Monday, March 17th.
  • Family appropriate content, please.
  • Use WeTransfer (a free program) to send in your .MP4 file. When WeTransfer prompts you for a destination email, enter mleonard@maine.rr.com – Mike Leonard is collecting the slideshows for presentation at the meeting.
  • Create (export) your slideshow as an .MP4 file (1080P at 30fps).
  • Shows should be not longer than 4 minutes.
  • Royalty Free or your own original music
  • First "slide" should include the slideshow title and your name.
  • After all of the image slides, add a slide that provides music attribution (song title, artist).
  • The final slide should be a black slide. This will help with transitions from one slideshow to the next.

At this in person meeting, Mike Cullivan will give a presentation on photographing birds in flight.

Photo Walk dates and locations to be announced.

April

Submission Guidelines:

  • Deadline for images: Thursday, March 27th.
  • Click here for details about rules regarding AI-generated content.
  • One image per member. JPEG/JPG format only. Images should not exceed maximum width 1920px and maximum height 1080px.
  • Digital matting is not allowed. A single white stroke around the image, or no stroke, are acceptable.
  • Name your image file in the format your name-title.jpg, for example, Ansel-Adams-Winter-Storm-Yosemite.jpg
  • Send your image file by email to pccupload@gmail.com (every entry receives a confirmation within 72 hrs).

We'll meet to discuss black and white prints in an open, supportive way. Images are not judged or scored. All members are encouraged to bring in one B&W print.

Join this classic, fun challenge. For all details, go to the One Shot page. Deadline for entries is April 7.

At this in person meeting, Knapp Hudson will give a presentation on infrared photography.

May

(Click here for Zoom meeting link)  A discussion night viewing members' images of spring.

  • Deadline for submissions is Fri May 2nd.
  • Images must be in JPEG/JPG format and sized to a maximum width of 1920px, and max height 1080px.
  • Name your image file your-name-image-title.jpg (for example, Ansel-Adams-Yosemite-Valley.jpg)
  • Email your image file to pccupload@gmail.com. You will receive a confirmation email within 72 hours.

Tonight's in-person meeting will begin with the club's annual business, including the Treasurer’s report as well as the election of Club Officers and Executive Board members for next year.

Important  The rest of the meeting will be a facilitated discussion to review the past year—what worked, what would you like to see done differently next year?

Details to be announced.

Summer 2025

The club doesn't hold meetings in June, July or August. See you in September!