The virtual meeting of the Dubuque Camera Club on May 24, 2021 was attended by 17 club members. The meeting got off to a flying start at 6:29½ sharp because Chuck Isenhart was on the autobahn and trying to maintain his current velocity. We apologize to anyone who joined the meeting and felt confused. There was no introduction, and yes, everybody got dipped into deep water right away.

We realize it’s hard to cruise at top speed with a laptop (and webcam!) teetering on the dashboard of your Chevy. However, next time we hope that Chuck will take a few moments to meditate with his toes still on the diving board before he drags the rest of us into the 12-foot zone. (Note: If you’re mumbling “mixed metaphor,” sorry, there’s nothing that can be done. Next time will be better, we promise — cross my heart and hope to kiss a frog.)

Digital Travel judging. First speedo thing on the agenda was breaking tiebreakers for the N4C Digital Travel (DT) judging. Cara Pusateri organized the submissions; and this month’s judges — Stephonie Schmitz and Chuck Isenhart — offered their thoughts on the top images. Bob Felderman also served as a volunteer judge this month, but was absent from tonight’s meeting. We suspect Bob’s real-life travels prevented him from joining this virtual discussion of digital travel. (If your eyes are crossed now, please be aware, this is within the realm of normal. However, Kevin’s image below is not — possibly to his granddaughter’s disappointment.) Cara channeled Bob and made the deciding vote. Winners are already on the N4C website.

Congratulations to the following club photographers whose images appear in the N4C winners’ galleries for the May 2021 competition:

• Kevin McTague – Digital Altered Reality, 2nd place, “See Jane Run”
• Stephonie Schmitz – Digital Nature, 3rd place, “Giraffe Pool, Massai Mara, Africa”
• Andreas Exner – Digital Nature, honorable mention, “Sandhill Cranes”

• Jim Durrant – Photo entered by the N4C in the PSA Council Challenge, “Nighttime at Fallingwater”

Print competition changes from the N4C. It sounds like the N4C has decided on print competition changes, effective this fall. No mats or backing will be allowed, categories will be doubled up (Here we go marching two-by-two, hurrah, hurrah), and everything needs to fit in specific sized mailing boxes. More info is in the N4C’s May newsletter. Our club will need to decide if, given these changes, we want to participate in print competition. Our club has not participated in monthly print competition for the past several years, due to the cost and hassle.

UPCOMING EXHIBITS — An opening reception for the Eclectic exhibit at the Smokestack will be held on Friday, July 2nd from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. This is part of First Fridays. Participating club members will need to have their own prints made. More info here.

Trees at DuMA. Everybody please check what you sent in for the Trees exhibit at DuMA. If you want to add or delete an image, let Ron or Ken know. Each person can submit up to five, and be prepared to pay for printing costs for up to two. The art museum curator will curate (Does that sound repetitious?), and we’ll order matching prints as a club. Remember, participating in club exhibits is a perk of Dubuque Camera Club membership. Samples will be available at the picnic.

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Club picnic coming up!

** Club Picnic on June 7th! The annual end-of-the-season club picnic will be held on Monday, June 7th at 6:00 (six) p.m. The club will order a catered box lunch for everyone who RSVPs by Friday, June 4th. Each club member may bring up to one guest. This is a perfect opportunity to bring someone who is interested in joining the club. A spouse or significant other is fine too. Look in the club email that was sent on May 23rd for a link to the RSVP form.

Remember, there are no regular club meetings during the summer. (Possibly we will organize a summer photoshoot or presentation). Our regular meetings will start up again in person on TUESDAY, September 7th at a venue TBD. Ron said he hopes to continue offering a virtual option for future meetings.

Dues will be due in September. If you want to get a jump on next year’s dues, you are welcome to do so. Simply click this link to renew your member dues online. New members may also join using the same link.

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Photo Caravan images

The highlight of tonight’s meeting was looking at images from the Photo Caravan on Wednesday, May 19th. It was led by Dubuque Camera Club member and renowned landscape photographer Henry Matthiessen III. The club met in Galena, and then drove southward to visit several photogenic destinations. Sixteen people attended the photo caravan, and everyone who went took pictures and had fun. “Let’s do it again” was unanimous for this photoshoot.

During the photo caravan, the club visited the following destinations. Click here for a map.

1. Galena’s Historic Train Depot 
2. Horseshoe Mound Preserve 
3. Chestnut Mountain Resort 
4. Bottomlands Barn with reflections 
5. Railroad overpass with graffiti
6. Blanding Landing 

Quite a few people have shared images to the club’s Facebook group. You can also see some images in this folder in the club’s online gallery.

Fifteen club members and one guest attended the Dubuque Camera Club virtual meeting on May 3, 2021. Many topics were discussed, including the two club exhibits that are coming up this year.

Smokestack. Remember, the Smokestack exhibit in July will be an eclectic exhibit, so everyone will need to get their own prints made! (Or unbury them from your closet!) Up to around 30 large prints may be displayed, along with a digital slideshow. The club still needs to figure out the submission and jurying process. Prints can be for sale, minus a commission. Be prepared to submit photos of existing framed prints. More info at the next meeting.

Trees at DuMA. Club members, be sure to check what you sent in last year for the Trees exhibit at DuMA. If you want to add, change, or delete your image from consideration, let Ron or Ken know. [Note: Scroll down to the 2020 album in the club’s online gallery to see those submissions.] The curator from the art museum will jury this show, and we’ll have photos printed as a group, as in previous years. The opening is scheduled for November 13th, so there is still time to prepare or make changes.

Digital Travel judging. Our club will judge the N4C Digital Travel (DT) competition this month. Cara Pusateri, one of our club’s N4C reps, will facilitate the judging. Thanks to three courageous volunteers who stepped up to serve as virtual contest judges: Bob Felderman, Stephonie Schmitz, and Chuck Isenhart. The club voted to reschedule the next meeting to Monday, May 24th to better fit with the judging schedule.

Photo Caravan. At tonight’s meeting, we also finalized plans for the upcoming Photo Caravan through Jo Daviess county on Wed. May 19. It will be led by Dubuque Camera Club member Henry Matthiessen III. We’ll meet in Galena and drive or carpool to several photo destinations.

April returns. The club went over returns from the April N4C contests. Our club had a dozen top-rated images last month, including another 2nd place! Yay, Ron! That’s pretty good for a club our size! [Imagine the ding-ding of a pinball table as the points ring up!] Congratulations to the following Dubuque Camera Club photographers!!

Congratulations to April winners!

• Ron Tigges – Digital Travel, 2nd place for “Chicago River Wrigley Building View”
• Lori Burrows – Digital Travel, merit award, “Winter Morning at the Arboretum”
• Ken Kiss – Digital Travel, merit award, “Storm Clouds, Stanley, Idaho”
• Jim Durrant – Digital Travel, merit award, “Evening, Grand Canyon”
• Stephonie Schmitz – Digital Journalism, merit award, “Daily Chores in the Masai Mara”
• Bob Felderman – Digital Journalism, merit award, “Hot Summer in Chicago, Living Water”
• Kevin McTague – Digital Altered Reality, honorable mention, “Guess Who is Coming to Dinner?”
• Ron Tigges – Digital Pictorial, merit award, “Matthiessen State Park Waterfall”
• Stephonie Schmitz – Digital Pictorial, merit award, “Giraffe Pool, Massai Mara, Africa”
• Stephonie Schmitz – Digital Nature, honorable mention, “Costa Rican Pygmy Owl”
• Kevin McTague – Digital Nature, honorable mention, “Male House Finch”
• Andreas Exner – Digital Black and White, merit award, “Barn in Snowy Landscape”

The Dubuque Camera Club held a virtual meeting on April 19, 2021. Thanks to Jennifer Tigges for contributing the following meeting notes:

Club Picnic. The annual club picnic will be held outdoors on Monday, June 7th at 6 p.m. The club discussed food for the picnic that might be pandemic friendly. We’ll send out a survey to see what people might like. This can be paid for by Camera Club funds. The club will provide bottled water, and members may bring their own beverages. Restroom is nearby. Bring a lawn chair, or there are picnic tables available at the shelter.

DuMA exhibit. The club’s “Trees” exhibit at the Dubuque Museum of Art has a new opening date: Saturday, November 13th, 2021. The museum needs prints ready to hang by October 31. Ron suggested doing our prints on wood. A sample from Woodsnap will be shown at the picnic and pricing info then as well. Prints can be used afterward and are table top ready.

Smokestack exhibit. The club discussed the upcoming Smokestack exhibit, which will utilize large pieces if possible. We will create an online gallery and let Susan from Smokestack jury the exhibit. If you are a club member who wants to participate, you will need to order your own prints. Take photos of your existing artwork, and be prepared to state the size of the piece. We are looking to Bob Felderman for a specific date, and more information. The club will possibly host an opening party…?

N4C competition. In May, our club will judge the Digital Travel category of the N4C contest. Volunteer judges will be chosen at the next club meeting. This will be the final monthly contest of the 2020/21 season.

Meeting venue. The club heard an update on the potential reopening of E.B. Lyons Interpretive Center. We will continue to search for alternative meeting venues, in case the building does not open up until fall. The club also discussed the option of all future in-person meetings including virtual too. So if you cannot make it in person, for whatever reason, you can join from your armchair.

Photoshoot caravan. Henry Mattheissen III will lead a Jo Daviess county photo tour. The caravan will start around 3:00 or 4:00 p.m., and will include sunset. We’ll take 6 cars maximum, to be able to park along the roadside without issues. We’ll come up with some alternative dates for May or June for this. Might need to carpool. If we have 2 people in a car, that would accommodate 12 people.

Photo-worthy locations in the Dubuque area. Jim Durrant asked about a list of places to take photos in the Tri-States. One photo opp is the new mural at 105 Locust Street (Artistic Cleaners, next to Hartig). Travel Dubuque and Voices Productions are collaborating on this space. Jennifer sent out a list of locations that was made for Blufftops & Visions, the 2018 N4C convention that our club hosted. Check your email for this list!

Photography convention in Duluth. Remember, there is an opportunity this fall to visit the harbor city of Duluth, Minnesota, located on Lake Superior. The Duluth-Superior Camera Club is hosting the 2021 N4C convention, and they have some great things going on, so save your spot now! Early bird discount ends on May 31st. Find more information at this link.

The Dubuque Camera Club virtual meeting on April 5, 2021 was attended by 15 people. Here are the meeting highlights:

Opening date for the “Trees” exhibit at the Dubuque Museum of Art has been pushed back a few weeks to Saturday, November 13, 2021. It will be on display concurrent with a Vietnam War exhibit. We hope to be clear of the pandemic by then, so the opening reception can be held in person. About 24 photos will be chosen. Participation is limited to active club members. The club will have photos printed and mounted as a group. Many people already submitted “Trees” images before the exhibit was postponed last year — with the new date, there is time to make changes. Here’s a link to the gallery.

► The annual club picnic is coming up. It will be held the first Monday in June. We are leaning toward having it in person at a shelter at the Mines of Spain. The club is planning to explore food options. More details to be discussed at upcoming meetings.

► Henry promised to lead a caravan into Illinois on a photo day trip on an unknown date in the future. Because of his art tours and landscape photography, he’s got an insider perspective of the tucked away places to photograph in Jo Daviess county. He calls them “places you can go and kind of get off the road so you don’t get killed.”

► General Bob has been out and about lining up future club exhibits. Some will be themed (like the “Trees” exhibit), while others will be eclectic. For the eclectic exhibits, you can choose your own subject and have them printed any which way. The Smokestack exhibit — this summer — is coming up rapidly. There’s lots of wall space, and items can be for sale (minus a commission). Get ready to dust off your hoarded prints, or order new!

► Don’t forget about the fall N4C convention in Duluth. Tickets are on sale now. Learn more.

► Pamela is desiring to step back somewhat from her communications role with the club, due to other time commitments. Speak up if you want to help!

► Casey’s husband has been in the hospital, so reach out to her!

The club also went over comments and returns from last month’s N4C contest. Our hearts go out to Cara, one of our club N4C reps. She gets the virtual consolation prize for receiving the least helpful comment from an N4C judge. (Say it in a deadpan voice): “I’m sorry, this did not appeal to me.”

Congratulations to the following Dubuque Camera Club photographers who were recognized in the March 2021 N4C contest:

• Henry Matthiessen, second place, Digital Pictorial, Cloud Gods Rise
• Kevin McTague, honorable mention, Digital Black and White, Winter Fall
• Kevin McTague, honorable mention, Digital Pictorial, Winter Sunset
• Stephonie Schmitz, merit award, Digital Nature, Costa Rican Pygmy Owl
• Stephonie Schmitz, merit award, Digital Pictorial, Serenity at Red Rocks Ampitheater
• Stephonie Schmitz, merit award, Digital Black and White, Winter Light
• Jim Durrant, merit award, Digital Nature, Sharp Shinned Hawk
• Will Hoyer, honorable mention, Digital Pictorial, Morning Color at Negative 16 Degrees Fahrenheit

The Dubuque Camera Club held a virtual meeting on Monday, March 15, 2021. Thanks to club member Bob Felderman for taking meeting notes!

• Absences: Stephonie is becoming a new mom. Pamela had a death in the family and could not attend.

• Next meeting, on Monday April 5th, will be submissions and returns.  In May our club will judge the Digital Travel (DT) category of the N4C competition , so in April we will get to submit two travel images for competition.

• The E.B. Lyons interpretive center is expected to be open by summer, so we should plan an outdoor picnic on the first Monday (7th) of June. 

• Even though the N4C competition is closed for the summer, we will schedule a summer meeting to include an outdoor photo shoot. 

• Tonight’s agenda was “Roll your own magazine cover.” The goal was to practice preparing your original digital photos for a print publication. The club looked at the magazine covers that were submitted before the meeting. A template and instructions were provided.

• Discussed the types of images typically used for different magazines. Ron and Bob shared screens with samples. Photography-oriented magazines usually have a small amount of text with a focus on images.

• Future exhibitions were also discussed, and Bob will reach out to area gallery managers for potential dates and themes. Ron suggested an eclectic exhibit so people could display pre-existing prints. 

• Chuck suggested we consider a Camera Club magazine or newsletter of 16 pages, with everyone responsible for a page or parts of a page, like an image with a description of the location, lens, settings, lighting, etc.

• Ron concurred but reminded attendees that success of the project depends on club member participation.

• Other discussions were around Ron shooting with an automatic stick for his camera using a 50mm, which can take images that are blended into GB size. He showed some examples. The meeting ended around 7:45 p.m. 

Next meeting on Easter Monday

The next Dubuque Camera Club meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, April 5th at 6:30 p.m. N4C submissions are due before the meeting. Our club can submit double Digital Travel (DT). See you there!