Hello, creative Sweetwater Camera Club members, visitors and friends . . .

First, a special note to our members who also attend the Digital Image Group meetings: We are moving our meeting place for next week’s Digital Image Group to the Douglasville School of Art on Broad Street, next to the Old Courthouse. More information will come your way during the next week.

You are invited to join us this Thursday evening, June 9^th at 7 p.m. for an evening hosted by Mr. David Akoubian of Bear Woods Photography.

David is a well known photographic artist, teacher, speaker, leader, photo product evangelist and photo workshop coordinator. Check out his website at www.bearwoodsphotography.com . His photos reveal what a gifted photographer he is. He has appeared at the Digital Image Group in the past, has given us a lecture in front of the Atlanta Botanical Garden on the use of Lensbabies (which you can still watch at: http://www.sweetwatercameraclub.org/about-us/history/2008/david-akoubian-lensbabies). An article about David’s visit to the Sweetwater Camera Club in 2008  is located here:  http://www.sweetwatercameraclub.org/field-trips/2008/august-atlanta-botanical-garden .

He has also served as a judge at the North Georgia Camera Club Council’s annual shootout.

David will be the critiquer and judge for our Industrial color and monochrome contests, and our Taste for Douglasville Arts and Library Shoot-Out Field Trip contests. You do not have to be a member of the Sweetwater Camera Club to attend our meetings or participate in our field trips. Should you wish to participate in SCC photo contests, you must be a member.

Condolences: We are saddened to learn that Glenn Bickford’s dad, Bob Bickford passed away on May 24^th. He was obviously a fine person, if his son is any indication . . .

Also, a long time former member and officer of the Sweetwater Camera Club, Geri Collum left this earth on April 3^rd, 2011. According to her son, she has a memorial page being set up at www.mem.com. Type in Geraldine Collum in the search box and sign the guest book. Geri was the first person that Norma and I ever met at the SCC. She suffered from cancer and other physical ailments. I am attaching a photo illustration I made of Geri in early 2005. At the time, she was wearing a specialized medical boot, which reminded me of something an astronaut would wear. Geri’s contributions to the SCC were numerous.

Thank you! To the many people who helped us at the Taste of Douglasville Arts Festival on May 14th and the May photo shootout on May 22nd. Our Taste volunteers included Caprice Lengle, Carrie Lahue, David Stephens, Diane Yancey, Gene Spicer, Glenn Bickford, Hubert Yoder, Karen Kendrick, Michael Toles, David Stephens, Norma & Richard Nichols, Retz Joseph and Stella Spyrou.

We raised money for the club and for the Cultural Arts Council through the magic portrait skills of these members. Also thanks to Laura Lieberman, the CAC Director and to Emily her assistant for all their help.

Also, thanks to Erik Peterson for hosting and judging our May photo shootout at the Douglas County Library. The winners of that contest will be announced at the SCC meeting tomorrow after all judging has been done at our June meeting. Our participants in this contest were: Nigel Kaitell, Jim Gardner, Rob Hainer, David Stephens, Francois Chaponot, Nicolette, Adam Cash, Dominique Chaponot, Jan Peterson and Norma Nichols.

This month’s contest: Industrial: A photograph depicting something industrial. This could be factories, power plants, refineries, mining, steel plants, or just shots of machines.

I have attached a recently revised document called “Richard’s Image Critique Criteria” which I have composed after attending many critiques at the Sweetwater Camera Club and Digital Image Group, and from reading the works of a number of authors. If you are preparing images for a contest, a gallery show or for your own purposes, you might find the information in this two page essay helpful. Feel free to reply with your own comments! Check out item number 9, which is a new Greg Ferguson observation about burning in the corners of your pictures.

 2011 Contest Topics: You can view the contest topics for this year at http://www.sweetwatercameraclub.org/contests/contest-topics-a-descriptions/contests-2011

You can find out more about the contest rules on the web at http://www.sweetwatercameraclub.org/contests . The rules state that you may enter two photos each in the color, monochrome and field trip categories. Attached you will also find a proof of the next SCC Photo Contest page which will appear in the July issue of the Chapel Hill News & Views magazine. Thank you to all who participate in our contests, whether you win or not.

Upcoming Field Trips: You are not required to be a member of the Sweetwater Camera Club to take part in our field trips, but you must be a member in order to participate in our contests.

1. Sunflower Farm in Rutledge GA. SCC member Susan Morris has been kind enough to research our next potential field trip. She and field trip chairperson Dominique Chaponot are in the process of setting up a field trip to the Sunflower Farm located at 1430 Durden, Rutledge GA 30663. Their phone is 706-557-2870. The date is tentatively Saturday, June 25^th. Please stay tuned for more information on dates, time and admission fees. According to Google Maps, this venue is approximately 85 miles away and takes about an hour and a half to drive there. It is a fairly straight shot across Atlanta past Covington. We will need to know how many people plan on attending so plans can be finalized for this event.

2. Serenbe Center Photo Contest this weekend: Kathryn Kolb announces the Serenbe Photography Open Competition this Saturday, June 11^th 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. So far there are about 20 photographers from several clubs signed up. Here is the scoop: Don't forget to sign up! As many of you know, the 1st Annual Serenbe Photography Center Open Competition takes place this Saturday - you still have time to enter!  Ribbons and prizes will be awarded in 6 "scavenger hunt" photo assignment categories and a grand prize trophy (below) will go to the best individual or team.  Plus, everyone who enters the Open will have an equal chance of winning many wonderful "raffle" prizes donated by Serenbe and other businesses. The link to more information about this event is: http://www.serenbephotographycenter.com/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=106 . The cost to enter is $20 per person or $40 per team.

Membership: If you haven’t already done so, please consider joining or rejoining the Sweetwater Camera Club for the calendar year 2011. The cost is minimal, just $20 per individual or $35 per family. You may pay on-line at http://www.sweetwatercameraclub.org/membership or you can pay in person at the meeting. You will need to see SCC Secretary Stella Spyrou when you check in.

Keep up your photography skills and learn new ones! See you at the Sweetwater Camera Club meeting!

Richard