| 2026 |
|
|
| Aug 1 |
New Club Year Begins |
Remember to pay your dues |
| Aug 6 |
Program-1 |
We have a really fun, and quirky end-of-summer program this week, thanks to a conversation I had with Bev over coffee one morning. She said, “you know, you guys are constantly on the prowl for the perfect image, the once in a lifetime situation—what if you considered all those moments when something went horribly wrong, or the shot you hoped for missed the mark, and that opportunity was gone forever? Why not run a critique on the failures, rather than getting at perfection?”
Well? I had to take her up on the challenge. And so, the Baltimore Camera Club (and Bev) presents...
The Glorious Failure Critique
Every photographer has them: the missed focus, the accidental finger over the lens, the perfectly timed blink, the composition that somehow got worse every time you looked at it, the image that seemed brilliant until you got home and saw, with agony and despair, missed focus!
As this is our final critique of the summer, we want to close the season on a relaxed and joyful note and begin the new year with a light-hearted and fun program that reminds us why we enjoy sharing our work together in the first place.
For one evening, we're setting aside our best work and celebrating the photographs that never made the portfolio—the failures, the laughable compositions, the wonky frames that would make a judge cringe.
All you have to do is submit one delightfully unsuccessful photograph—the funnier, stranger, or more spectacularly off the mark, the better. We'll laugh together, talk about what went wrong (or wonderfully wrong), and remind ourselves that every good photographer has a hard drive full of almosts and what was I thinkings!
This is a lighthearted evening of shared mistakes, unexpected lessons, and photographic humility.
Because sometimes the worst photographs make for the best conversations.
|
| Aug 20 |
Board Meeting |
Meeting start at 6:30PM (new time). The meeting is open to all the members. |
| Aug 20 |
Program-2 |
Gear swap (please check email for details) |
| Sept 3 |
Welcome back night, 7:00PM |
Come join your fellow Camera Club members on Thursday, Sept. 3 for our annual “Welcome Back Night”!
Festivities will begin at 7 PM, with a potluck dinner, to be followed by a presentation of our annual end-of-year awards. Guests are more than welcome, as are spouses/partners and other family members.
Please bring something to share. If you don’t feel like cooking, then paper plates or tableware or napkins or paper cups are always welcome. We welcome almost anything - the Church has a prohibition about alcoholic beverages.
The sign up sheet for the pot luck is located here on Google docs
Presentation of the best images for 2025-2026 will take place. Join in on congratulating those who win trophies and those who win medals.
Tom Gisriel, our illustrious Vice President of Competitions, will be the MC for the night, to guide you through the festivities.
Don’t experience FOMO—come on Thursday and get to know your other BCC members a bit better. …AND you never know if one of your images will be placed in the Year-End Competition!
|
| Sept 10 |
Board meeting |
Starts 6:30PM, Open to all members. (link to approved minutes) |
| Sept 10 |
Print Competion-1 |
Print Competition –Judge: Edwin Remsberg
website: https://photos.remsberg.com/index
|
| Sept 13 |
Field shoot |
Field Shoot - Ladew Topiary Gardens and Butterfly House - Sunday Sept. 13, 2026 (Rain Date: Sunday Sept. 20) (Led by Lynn Roberts)
Please join us for a field shoot at the Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 9 AM to explore their gardens and especially their Butterfly House, which emphasizes native species. (Remember: one of the themes for the upcoming MPA Photography Competition is Macro photography!).
If you are interested please sign up using this Google document.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fzA2sGnuWdnmK1X9Y2Oo2z7zgLp4QLe3I4-F85xonlU/edit?usp=sharing
We will plan on meeting right when they open at 9 AM. Let’s try to assemble for lunch at their Ladew Cafe: https://www.ladewgardens.com/ladew-cafe
Admission fee is $22 ($18 for seniors 62 and older). More info at: https://www.ladewgardens.com/
Members are encouraged to bring guests; just please sign up for everyone in your party so that we know how many to expect. I am happy to provide mentoring on camera settings if requested! Please make sure you submit or bring a release form for each individual who will attend. Release forms can be downloaded here: /Downloads/912a3fa7-e672-4b1f-b3a5-e2de0df81052?o=y
-Lynn
|
| Sept 17 |
Program-3 |
Digital Critiques: One image per member. |
| Sept 24 |
Digital Competition-1
(Zoom only)
|
Judge: Cynthia Keith
Cynthia L. Keith is a native Washingtonian. Her love of photography started in a journalism class at Walt Whitman High School and over the years has led her to scenic locations from Alaska to Maine in search of landscape images. Her specialty is garden landscape photography, a marriage of her vision for the grand landscape and intimate flower portraits.
Cynthia has been a member of the North Bethesda Camera Club since 1992 where she has exhibited, participated in numerous presentations, and served on multiple committees.
Outside of photography, she has a BA in Music and an MBA from the University of Maryland, and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Cynthia has worked for several financial firms in the Washington, D.C. area during her career as a portfolio manager. She is past-president of the Washington Association of Money Managers and of the CFA Institute in Washington.
|
| Oct 1 |
Program-4 |
Steven Harvey (BCC member) presents his “Solar Eclipse: Notes from Spain,” which
will incorporate his experiences shooting his first solar eclipse and how he learned with a team
trip to Spain. |
| Oct 8 |
Board Meeting |
Starts 6:30PM, Open to all members. (link to approved minutes) |
| Oct 8 |
Print Competion-2 |
Judge: Jennifer Bishop
Jennifer has more than 35 years of experience shooting for publications, hospitals, schools, design firms, nonprofits, foundations, businesses, and individuals all over the world. She especially loves shooting portraits, both on location or in her Baltimore City studio. She also writes and photographs for projects that advocate for better lives for people with disabilities.
https://jenniferbishopphotography.com/
see article on her on Wikipedia
|
| Oct 15 |
Program-5 |
October 15: Vickie Gray
So, You Think You’d Like Your Own Photography Studio? Have you ever dreamed of having a dedicated space for making photographs? This program explores what goes into setting up and maintaining a photography studio, whether it’s a separate workspace or a small area in your home. We’ll look at practical considerations for both still life and portrait photography, including space, equipment, organization, and workflow. Geared primarily toward non-professional photographers, the program will offer practical advice, useful tips, and a realistic look at what it takes to create a studio of your own.
|
| Oct 16 -18 |
Fall Trip 2026 |
We are once again returning to the Inn at Mountain Quest in Frost West Virginia. The Inn at Mountain Quest is truly one of the best places we have ever traveled to. The Inn is located in Frost, West Virginia which is literally a crossroads. The nearest town is Marlinton, West Virginia which is 26 miles further west from the Inn. The Inn is a 126 acre farm located in a gorgeous valley in Pocahontas County West Virginia and is approximately 4 to 4 1/2 hours from Baltimore. There are many horses as well as other livestock on the actual farm. Their website is http://www.mountainquestinn.com.
The Inn has only 11 rooms total and we have a block of 10 rooms. Nine out of the ten rooms have 2 queen sized beds and one room has a king bed. The rate for the rooms with 2 queens is 139.00 per person per night. The rate for the king room is 149.00 per person per night. Each additional person in a room will add 30.00 per person per night. All rates are subject to 12% tax. All rates include a full breakfast served at the Inn on Saturday and Sunday morning. Each room is based on a certain theme and are truly well appointed. Please go to their website to check out the various themes of the rooms. To make a reservation you must call the Inn at 304-799-7267 and identify yourself as a member of the Baltimore Camera Club. You will need to give the Inn a credit card which will be used as a guarantee only. Individual cancellations received within 48 hours of arrival will be charged a one night penalty. After making a reservation please send me an email at olympus21209@yahoo.com so I can keep track of the bookings. If you are sharing a room with another member or significant other please advise me of their name as well.
IMPORTANT: Our block of rooms will be held until September 16. After that date you will need to call the Inn to check on availability. Due to the extremely rural location there are no other accommodations in the immediate area. The closest other accommodations are in the Marlinton area.
The Inn is once again serving dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings. We will plan a dinner - details to be advised - for our group on Saturday evening. You may dine at the Inn on Friday night or at another restaurant. Once again due to the very rural locations the nearest restaurants are in Marlinton.
Areas of interest include:
Beartown State Park - located 35-40 minutes away the park features wooden walkways through rock formations
Green Bank Radio Observatory - located within a few miles of the Inn
Cass Scenic Railway - located 40 minutes away offering gorgeous fall railroad journeys. Reservations are recommended.
Cranberry Glades Botanical Area - wooden walkways offer great views of the Glades in the fall. The area is 25 minutes away.
You can also hike the trails located within the area of the Inn. Some are quite steep but offer excellent views. The drives in the area of the Inn are also spectacular. Finding pullouts can be difficult at times but they do exist!
Lewis Katz
Weekend Trip Coordinator
|
| Oct 22 |
Digital Competion-2 |
Themed Digital Competition
Theme : Creatures ( All Animals: Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Insects. While a human may appear in the image, the human must be clearly subordinate to the animal)
|
| Oct 29 |
Program-6 |
October 29: Ray Schneider: Photographing Light with Intentionality
Without light there is no photography. That goes without saying. And so you strive for the perfect exposure. And when you see light first and subjects second, you stop documenting objects and start creating photographs. The subject gives the photograph its name. Light gives it its life.
But what happens when the range of light values in a picture is wide and you’re forced to choose between over or under exposing different elements in a composition? What happens to the scene when you shoot into the sun? How do you manage harsh midday lighting? Do you have to think differently about light if your final image will be in black and white? What feeling are you trying to create with available light? In other words, are you paying enough conscious attention to the role light plays in your compositions?
During this presentation/workshop Ray will explore a 10-point strategy for managing light with more intentionality.
|
| Nov 5 |
Print Competition |
Print competition-3:
Judge: Ronald Peiffer
Ron Peiffer is a Maryland photographer based in Severna Park. He is the Vice President for Contests for Arundel Camera Club and Member-at-Large for the Maryland Photography Alliance.
His work has appeared in Maryland Photography Alliance gallery shows over the past several years, and he has received the Frederick R. Kelly Photographer of the Year award from Arundel Camera Club. Ron currently holds Master’s Certificates in Black and White and Color Prints with the Arundel Club and also holds a Platinum certificate for digital images. He has been certified as a judge with the Maryland Photography Alliance since and has served as a judge for numerous club competitions in the Baltimore-Washington area and in other organizations in the region.
He currently uses a digital mirrorless camera but shot film for many years before moving to digital. Favorite subjects include travel photography, nature, youth sports, and family. While he is active on social media with digital images, he most loves black and white print.
|
| Nov 12 |
Board meeting |
Start 6:30PM. Starts 6:30PM, Open to all members. |
| Nov 12 |
Program-7 |
Program-7: |
| Nov 19 |
Digital Competition-3 |
Judge: Walter Calahan
Photography is Walter Calahan’s passion — whether it is for advertising, corporate annual reports or collateral publications, magazines, websites, or simply for the personal joy of viewing the world with a camera.
The magazines that have used his work included the National Geographic Society, The New York Times Magazine, Boys' Life, Time, Fortune, Business Week, Smithsonian, Sports Illustrated, Bon Appétit, Family Fun, Computer World, PC World, Wired, Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair, to name just a few.
As an adjunct instructor, he teaches both digital and film photography for Stevenson University and McDaniel College’s art departments, insuring a love for photography in the next generation of image makers.
|
| Nov 26 |
Thanksgiving |
No meeting |
| Dec 3 |
Program-8 |
Bob Hills presents a unique introduction to the development of serial photography
projects and philosophy of telling the story using multiple images. |
| Dec 10 |
Board Meeting |
Starts 6:30PM |
| Dec 10 |
Print Competition |
Print Competition-4 |
| Dec 17 |
Holiday Party |
|
| Dec 24 |
Holiday |
No meeting |
| Dec 31 |
Holiday |
No meeting |