Focal Points Magazine - February, 2020

Focal Points Sierra Club Camera Committee Newsletter February 2020

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

Focal Points Contents 3.

Notes from the Chairman

4.

About the Cover Shot

5.

February SCCC Meeting

6.

Outings

12.

14.

An Announcement:

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It is with great pleasure that I can announce the Camera Committee has a new home for its meetings beginning with the February 2020 meeting.

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Member Comments Monthly Member Photos Black and White Pages Monthly Member Photo Contest Winner Parting Shot

Our new meeting place will be the Garden Room of the Culver City Memorial Complex, 4117 Overland Ave., Culver City, CA 90230

During 2020 we will be sharing this facility with the West LA Chapter of the Sierra Club on a rotating basis - West LA will have the space on odd months, the Camera Committee will have the space on even months of the year. Our new meeting night will be on the 2nd Thursday of even months.

Cover Photo Credit:

Š John Fisacontti, 2020 All Rights Reserved "Valley of Fire Moonrise"

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Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures, kill nothing but time.

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

Notes from the Chairman

Some time ago, our past Chairman Bob Beresh initiated an

addition to this newsletter that became an important standard entry each month. More miscellaneous ramblings than anything else, Bob's incisive comments added a personal depth that I've missed since his move to Colorado. Now that I find myself your new Chairman, I hope to continue this tradition.

Let me say that I am humbled to have been asked to lead our group and recognize the challenge of moving forward in a meaningful and productive way for all of us. SCCC has been and will remain a great social organization of passionate photographers and a vehicle for getting that passion out into the world through Focal Points Newsletter and the SCCC photo database. I believe we are realizing some success here. However, SCCC has a tremendous potential in the stimulation of social change that has not yet been recognized by our group. Every time we photograph a subject in the natural world, we create a vision that can be used to continue and strengthen continuing efforts in the preservation of our environment. The Sierra Club has a voracious appetite for such images and I hope you will feel free to continue to provide your best for this effort.

I have goals for my tenure as your Chairman over the next year: 1. Continue to provide exciting and stimulating meeting programing in our new, clean and comfortable meeting space at the Culver City Memorial Auditorium.

2. Schedule more multi-day photographic outings to exciting locations 3. Schedule more one-day local outings to provide more photographic opportunities for our members. Joan and Alison, our Outings Chairman, are currently researching possible one-day treks to the myriad of fabulous world class locations right here in our neighborhoods.

4. Encourage closer ties to our sister organization, The West LA Group, and provide the opportunity to our members to become involved in the many environmental endeavors championed by the West LA Chapter.

5. Finally, I'd like to grow SCCC's membership by 50% in 2020. I hope you will consider this your challenge also. Think about and identify friends and acquaintances who could become contributing members of the Committee. With the power of the Internet, these friends and acquaintances can be anywhere in the world! Bring those that can to meetings and convince them to become members. If only 1/2 of you were to bring in one new member, we'd meet this goal. The more members, the more we have to share with the world!

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

Editor:

February 2020

About the Cover Shot...John Fisanotti has provided succinct information

on the creation of this image that I thought would be of interest to Camera Committee Members.

The right place at the right time for this moonrise shot! Most of the eastern horizon was pretty flat but we were lucky to be at the parking lot where, from our line of sight, the moon appeared to rise from behind the distant mountain.

Because of the relatively flat horizon and not too interesting foreground, I decided to eliminate much of it by shooting with the longest telephoto I had. It was shot at 420mm (i.e.

300mm f/4 lens plus 1.4x teleconverter) which gives nice scale to the moon. It is a composite image to duplicate the naked eye view. Even in early twilight the moon was almost too bright to render good detail, when exposing for the landscape. So I also shot the moon after it cleared the horizon with shorter exposures to have a well exposed moon available to compose into a final image. The detail on the moon is largely (about 60%) from a different frame, but the location of the moon relative to the clouds and mountain is as I photographed it.

In a nutshell to create the image in Photoshop, I placed the properly exposed moon in a layer over the base image, making sure I lined it up with the moon on the base layer image. I set the opacity of the top (moon) layer to around 50% or 60% so what you see of the moon is a blend of the two images. Since the top layer was the taken when the moon had cleared the horizon, the entire moon is visible, so in the composite I used the eraser tool to eliminate that portion of the moon that appeared below the skyline (i.e. in the mountain). I did a few other minor tweaks to blend the image and then flattened it to produce a final image, saved as a TIF. I shot many images as the moon rose - about one every minute until after it cleared the horizon. Of the many frames I had, I liked this composition the best, with the partially risen moon and subtle streaks of clouds.

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

Sierra Club Camera Committee February 13, 2020 Meeting

When: Thursday February 13, 2020 7:00 PM Where: The Garden Room, Culver City Memorial Park,

4117 Overland Ave, Culver City, CA What: The World of Inkjet Paper...The Print Matters!

Please Note: Please join us for a Meet and Greet Dinner honoring our speaker, Eric Joseph on Feb.13 before the February Meeting,

See you at the Overland Cafe

3601 Overland Ave, Culver City starting at 5:30 Sharp!

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

Outings

©John Nilsson, all Rights Reserved

SCCC is hosting a trip to the Alabama Hills in the southern owens valley! visit where the lone ranger rode and john wayne trod! as a bonus, visit 6 locations where Anzel adam’s Tripod Stood.

When:

Friday, March 6 through Sunday, March 8, 2020

Where:

Our Headquarters will be the historic Dow Villa Hotel in Lone Pine. (Reasonable and hightly rated) Those who wish to camp are welcome to stay at BLM campsites in the Alabama Hills

Itinerary:

Friday: Saturday:

Sunday:

Meet at the Dow Villa for Check-in at 3:00 PM Leave for an evening/sunset shoot in the Alabama Hills Group diner - location to be determined.

Early morning back in the Alabama Hills for sunrise shoot and search for mistery Anzel Adams Tripod sites.

Back down to Lone Pine for lunch. Side trip to the Movie Museum. Evening sunset shoot in the Alabama Hills.

Up early for Anzel Adams Lone Pine tripod site, then on to Manzanar for more Anzel Adams sites and a visit to the Manzanar Internment Camp Museum. Back to Lone Pine to check out and dispurse for home.

Contact John Nilsson, 213-266-2224 to sign up. Don’t wait - this will fill up fast! Note: You need to sign-up to attend. No Walk-Ins Allowed

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

Outings O: Iva Bell Hot Springs Backpack Date and Time:

Wed, Jul 8, 2020 7:00 AM (Local Time) - Sun, Jul 12, 2020 9:00 PM (Local Time) Organized By: Angeles Chp Backpacking Comm Event Organizers: Mark Jacobs guitarpack@aol.com (818) 783-4882 Jeremy Evans jceevans@me.com (818) 749-4998 Moderate 22 mile, 1000' gain backpack to Iva Bell Hot Springs, one of the few undeveloped, natural hot springs in the Sierras. We'll head out from Reds Meadow for a two day backpack to the hot springs, layover one day and then take two days hiking out; camping on Fish Creek along the way. A beautiful canyon with several hot springs to soak in should make this trip a relaxing and memorable trip. Send check for $50 (refundable at trailhead) payable to the Sierra Club Backpack Section, 2 SASE, H & W phones and recent backpacking experience/conditioning and carpool info to Leader: MARK JACOBS, 15300 Ventura Blvd Ste 502Sherman OaksCA91403-5836 Level: Moderate(O-2) Signup Instructions: Send check for $50 (refundable at trailhead) payable to the Sierra Club Backpack Section, 2 SASE, H & W phones and recent backpacking experience/ conditioning and carpool info to Leader: MARK JACOBS, 15300 Ventura Blvd Ste 502Sherman OaksCA91403-5836 Cancellation Policy: Participants who fail to show up at the trailhead, lose their deposit

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

Outings O: Mineral King Backpack Date and Time: Sat, Aug 8, 2020 6:00 AM (Local Time) - Sun, Aug 16, 2020 8:30 PM (Local Time) Organized By: Angeles Chp Backpacking Comm Event Organizers: Mark Jacobs guitarpack@aol.com (818) 783-4882 Jeremy Evans jceevans@me.com (818) 749-4998 Moderate 41 mile, 4200 gain backpack through the extraordinary Mineral King area of Sequoia National Park. With one layover day, well start this loop trip heading through the Franklin Lakes, Little Claire Lake, Moraine Lake, Big Five Lakes and Columbine Lakes with a spectacular finish crossing Sawtooth Pass for an exciting glissade back to our trailhead. This beautiful foray into the Great Western Divide area should prove both invigorating and refreshing with high snow peaked ranges and pristine alpine lakes.

The trip also coincides with the famous Perseid Meteor Shower.

Signup Instructions: Send check for $50 (refundable at trailhead) payable to the Sierra Club Backpacking Section, 2 SASE, H & W phones and recent backpacking experience/conditioning and carpool info to Leader: MARK JACOBS, 15300 Ventura Blvd Ste 502 Sherman OaksCA91403-5836 Cancellation Policy: Participants who do not show up at the trailhead will lose their deposit

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

The Member’s Choice Photo Contest What’s your favorite photo in this Focal Points? Continuing with this issue I am asking all members to vote for their favorite photo. Here’s how: 1. Please e-mail me at dtlanow@gmail.com (Heading: Member’s Choice) and let me know

your choice for the best photo by the 20th of the month in which the issue is pub- lished.

2. In your e-mail, give me the page and the name of the photographer and a brief descrip-

tion so I can identify your choice.

I will tally up the votes and announce the winner in the next issue and republish the photo with a paragraph from the photographer about how it was captured, where, when, and even the dreaded mire of camera, settings and lens.

This should be a fun feature!

..........John Nilsson, Publisher

Wanna Go on a Hike?

Just in case you didn’t realize it...........

The Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club has litterally 100’s of outdoor activities that Sierra Club Camera Committee members can attend.

You can find these activities at http://angeles.sierraclub.org/activities If you have an idea for a trip that the Camera Committee might like to plan for, tell a leader.

They are always open to ideas of new places to go, new places to shoot. See the end of the newsletter for a list of contact information for the leaders.

CST 2087766-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California. All participants on Sierra Club outings are required to sign a standard liability waiver. To read the liability waiver before you participate on an outing, go to: http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/chapter/forms

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

Focal Points

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

MAY 2015

Sierra Club Camera Committee Newsletter

Focal Points Sierra Club Camera Committee Newsletter December, 2019

February 2020

Focal Points Sierra Club Camera Committee Newsletter

November 2019

January 2020

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Do you enjoy receiving your monthly copy of Focal Points?

If your answer is "Yes" and you want to continue receiving Focal Points, please send us your check for $15.00 and your full name and email address for a yearly subscription to: Sierra Club Camera Committee c/o Wesley Peck 3615 Gondar Ave. Long Beach, CA 90808-2814 As a bonus, you will receive: An invitation to contribute your photographs to Focal Points for publication Full membership in The Sierra Club Camera Committee and access to our extensive programming and trips

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

Get out there and get involved!

Our natural world is under attack and we all need to fight to preserve the things that we hold dear.

CONTRIBUTE

YOUR TIME, YOUR DOLLARS....

OR BOTH! Do you know anyone who would like to become a member of the Sierra Club Camera Committee?

We are seeking new members to share their outdoor experiences and photographs.

If you have a friend or acquaintance whom you feel would benefit from and add to our membership, please ask them to join us at our next meeting.

Membership costs only $15.00 per year - a tremendous value!

To join or renew, please mail a check for $15 (payable to SCCC): Wesley Peck, SCCC Membership 3615 Gondar Ave. Long Beach, CA 90808-2814

More members - More to share 11

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

This Month's Member Comments Jeremy Evans Writes: I hope you had a good time in Valley of Fire.

I wanted to let you know about the Death Valley Dark Sky Festival. Can you mention it in the SCCC newsletter? It's Feb 21st -23rd. I will be giving 2 or 3 three talks and helping out with astrophotography meet-ups again.

The schedule has not been posted yet but most events will be at the Furnace Creek Visitor center like last year with meetups at the dunes, Badwater Basin, and the Harmony Borax Works.

Larry Miller Writes Two of my favorite YouTube vloggers just posted videos about a one-day January photography trip to Valley of Fire State Park. They are well worth checking out if you're interested.

Here's a link to Adam Gibbs' video, where he photographs Windstone Arch (among others): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFvJ7sjvIm8 Here's a link to Nick Page's video (I haven't been able to figure out where he was photographing, although it's obviously close to the road): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liglHGbEMX0 I hope that you enjoyed our trip as much as I did!

Olivia Hernandez-Black Writes Love this magazine. I’m mailing in my membership fee asap.

Is there anyway I can purchase this magazine?

Many thanks. I thoroughly enjoy receiving your SCCC news in my email.

Olivia Hernandez Crescenta Valley Group Los Angeles, CA 12

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

Joan Schipper Writes: The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is coming to Santa Monica and DTLA and Sierra Madre in March. I went a couple of times in years past and highly recommend it.

Not every short will engage every viewer but overall it is worth the time and effort to get there.

Maybe Peter Mason can give us a quick review of this year's Festival. https://www.wildandscenicfilmfestival.org/ Ed Ogawa Adds: The dates are buried on the website. Out of dozens of performances, here are the nearby ones.

Santa Monica March 12 https://www.wildandscenicfilmfestival.org/events/mono-lake-3-2/

DTLA March 13 https://www.wildandscenicfilmfestival.org/events/mono-lake-3-2-2/

The West LA Group, Sierra Club Writes: One TRILLION Trees 1,000,000,000,000 !!!

1t.org is a World Economic Forum initiative, designed to support the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030, led by UNEP and FAO. 1t.org offers a platform for leading governments, businesses, civil society and ecopreneurs committed to serving the global trillion trees community. 1t.org exists to connect, empower and mobilize a global reforestation community of millions, unleashing their potential to act at an unprecedented scale and speed, to ensure the conservation and restoration of one trillion trees within this decade.

EDITOR'S NOTE: If any of the hyperlinks in this newsletter do not work for you, simply copy the hyperlink and paste it into your browser window. UP THE PAGE POPS! 13

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

This Month's Member Photos

Jeremy Evans

© 2020, Jeremy Evans All Rights Reserved

Editor's Note: Long time Camera Committee member Jeremy Evans is one of the foremost Night Sky/Astrophotographers in the country. We welcome Jeremy's return to the pages of Focal Points!

Jeremy will be lecturing and demonstrating at the Death Valley Dark Sky Conference, February 21 - 23.

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

Jeremy Evans

© 2020 Jeremy Evans All Rights Reserved

Death Valley Milkyway

Death Valley - The Racetrack Death Valley Night Sky

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

Jeremy Evans

© 2020 Jeremy Evans, All Rights Reserved

Perseids Metior Shower - Sequoia NP

Solar Eclipse - Chile - July 19, 2019

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

John Fisanotti

©2019, John Fisanotti, All Rights Reserved

Here are six color images plus one B&W conversion for the B&W column, from the first evening’s shoot taken on the Committee’s recent trip to Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada.

John Nilsson and Alan Der should be commended for sponsoring this very successful trip.

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

© 2019 John Fisanotti, All Rights Reserved

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February 2020

John Fisanotti

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE "Winter Lines” at sunrise SW of Spokane Wa.

February 2020

John Clement

“Winters Road Home-Palouse” East of Colfax Wa. in the Palouse..

“Marble Hills” wheat stubble with a coating of snow NW of Walla Walla, Wa. 19

©2020 John Clement, All Rights Reserved

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

John Clement

©2020 John Clement All Rights Reserved

“A Light Shining in the Darkness” Genesee Lutheran Church on a star fill night

Editor's Note: SCCC Member John Clement is a professional landscape photographer who lives in south eastern Washington State.

He's the "go to" guy if you need a guide to the photographic wonders of the area.

He can be reached at john@johnclementgallery.com

“Moon over the Vines” near my home here in Kennewick Wa. 20

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE © 2019 John Clement, All Rights Reserved

February 2020

John Clement

“Winter on the North Eastern Palouse

“Sharp Light” as the morning sun pierces the morning darkness thru a hole in the surrounding rain clouds.

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

Susan Manley

© 2019, Susan Manley, All Rights Reserved

Acorn Woodpecker

Great Blue Heron

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

Susan Manley

© 2019 Susan Manley, All Rights Reserved

Snowy Egret

Western Gull

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE Attached are 3 photos from the January 10-12 SCCC trip to Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada

© 2020, Larry Miller, All Rights Reserved

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February 2020

Larry Miller

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

Larry Miller

©2020, Larry Miller, all rights reserved

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

JW Doherty © 2020 JW Doherty, All Rights Reserved

South Rim of the Grand Canyon Above and Right: West Fork Oak Creek near Sedona

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

JW Doherty © 2020, JW Doherty, All Rights Reserved

West Fork Oak Creek near Sedona

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020 © 2020 JW Doherty All Rights Reserved

Bosque del Apache, New Mexico

Very Large Array New Mexico

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

Velda Ruddock

© 2020 Velda Ruddock, All Rights Reserved

Above, Below, and Right Grand Canyon

Below, Left and Right West Fork Oak Creek, near Sedona

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

Velda Ruddock

© 2019 Velda Ruddock, All Rights Reserved

Above and Left: Bosque del Apache, New Mexico

Very Large Array - New Mexico

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

Velda Ruddock

© 2020 Velda Ruddock, All Rights Reserved

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

John Nilsson

From the recent Valley of Fire Adventure

© 2020, John Nilsson, All Rights Reserved

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

John Nilsson

© 2020, John Nilsson, All Rights Reserved

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE © 2020 Shari Maron, All Rights Reserved

Shari Maron

Laguna Beach Area

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February 2020

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

The Black and White Pages

© 2020, John Fisanotti, All Righrts Reserved

Valley of Fire State Park, January 2020

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February 2020

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

© 2019, John Nilsson, All Rights Reserved

Under the Santa Monica Pier B/W Conversion Sony 100V

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February 2020

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

© 2018 John Nilsson, All Rights Reserved

Mt. Whitney Moon Rise From the Alabama Hills B/W conversion. Sony a7RII, Sony 24-70 @ 70mm

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February 2020

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

© 2020 Velda Ruddock, All Rights Reserved

Kelso Dunes in the Mojave Preserve.

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February 2020

SIERRA SIERRACLUB CLUBANGELES ANGELESCHAPTER CHAPTERCAMERA CAMERACOMMITTEE COMMITTEE

February 2020 MAY 2015

Monthly Member Photo Contest

And the Winner Is......

Susan Manley WOOD DUCK - Because I like the colorful feathers on some ducks, I went with a friend about two months ago to Yorba Regional Park, Anaheim (close to the 91 Freeway). There were several wood ducks swimming in calm waters. It was the pond the farthest away from the main entrance with lots of Canada geese and two pairs of Mandarin ducks. I also went last month and didn’t see any wood ducks. Maybe they were behind a little island as I have seen them other times November - January. This is a male wood duck (Aix sponsa). The wood duck is considered by many to be one of North America’s most beautiful waterfowl.

Nikon D850 Nikon 500 PF Manual setting 500 mm F5.6 @1/800 39

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

February 2020

The Parting Shot

"See Ya"

© 2020, JW Doherty, All Rights Reserved

Leader Contacts John Nilsson, Chairman

213-266-2224

Steve Anderson, Leader

714-962-2054

dtlanow@gmail.com

sandersonimagery@outlook.com

John Boyle, Leader jboyle6300@gmail.com

Peter Mason, Leader peter@petermason.com

Allan Der, Leader, Instructor

714-892-4857

ader@sprynet.com

Ed Ogawa - Treasurer

ed5ogawa@angeles.sierraclub.org

310-994-1019

Wesley Peck, Membership

562-420-8543 wesdpeck@gmail.com NOTE: Send Membeship Checks to Wesley at 3615 Gondar Ave., Long Beach, CA 90808-2814

310-828-6300

Joan Schipper, Leader, Co-Chair: Outings joanschipper@ix.netcom.com

626-794-5207

cscurlock@charter.net

Alison Boyle, Leader, Co-Chair: Outings alisoniboyle@icloud.com

Carole Scurlock, Leader

323-828-8334

John Nilsson, Leader,Focal Points Editor dtlanow@gmail.com

530-265-2528

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213-266-2224