Focal Points Magazine Novermber 2021 Final Issue by John Nilsson

Focal Points

Angeles Chapter Sierra Club Camera Committee Magazine November 2021

Focal Points Magazine

Due to current directives from The Sierra Club, we will be holding our December 12, 2021 meeting online. I will be contacting everyone when the time comes with instructions as to how to access via Zoom.

Contents 12 Meetings and Outings 22. Joe's How-To 28. Member Photos 78. Black and White Pages 86. Contributor's Bio's 100. Notes and Announcements

Focal Points Magazine

106. Photo of the Month

Published monthly by the Angeles Chapter Sierra Club Camera Committee, John Nilsson, Editor.

107. Parting Shot

Questions and comments can be directed to John at 213-266-2224

Cover Photo Credit:

Notes from the Chairman

I will have acted as Chairman of the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Camera Committee for two years as of the end of 2021. When I took the position, I expressed my desire that the Chairmanship be established as a two-year term. The main reason for this was that I felt it was important to the viability of the Committee that leadership be changed every two years. Periodic new blood and leadership skills are vitally important to any worthy activity and the SCCC is indeed a worthy activity. We will be holding our annual Camera Committee Management Meeting sometime in December and at that time I will submit my formal resignation. We would all appreciate your suggestions as to who you would like to see as the Chair for the next two years. Maybe you would even like to throw your hat in the ring! If you have a suggestion, please feel free to contact any of the directors listed on the last page of this Focal Points Magazine.

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

It has been a pleasure and an honor to be your Chair. I am looking forward to continuing to be an active member of SCCC and will continue to publish Focal Points Magazine which has become a big part of my monthly activities. The quality of the photographs and stories you have submitted to the publication are spectacular and a pleasure for me to assemble! Thanks again for the opportunity to work with you as Chair for the last two years! I am excited to see what the future holds for SCCC.

John Nilsson

Cover Photo Story:

TWELVE HOURS OF FAME – PHOTOGRAPHING NIGHT BLOOMING FLOWERS by John Fisanotti While some people are said to enjoy “Fifteen minutes of fame,” for plants commonly known as a Night Blooming Cacti, the applicable phrase is more accurately expressed as, “Twelve hours of fame.” For that is as long as each flower of the plant blooms before closing and shriveling, never to bloom again. And to add to the uniqueness, it blooms only at night. Moreover, the flower produces an intoxicating fragrance, akin to perfume. While there are many species that fall under the broad category of either Night Blooming Cacti, or Night Blooming Cereus, this article is about one species in particular, Epiphyllum oxypetalum. My wife has been cultivating Epiphyllums in our backyard for years and yet I ignored them for the most part, until recently. In July, our oldest, largest most mature specimen flowered and went largely unnoticed by me. But the closed, shriveled, bell-shaped aftermath of the blossom caught my attention and one evening at sunset, under “golden hour” lighting, I photographed the floral remains as they hung from the plant. When I showed the photos to my wife, she wasn’t impressed. “John, you missed the bloom. These bloom at night, and you missed the best part” she said to me. As her words sunk in, I realized this could be an interesting photographic self-assignment. One month later, the same plant sprouted ten new buds and this time I wasn’t going to ignore it. I was ready to photograph the fleeting flower, and was intrigued with the challenge of photographing it at night. As evening fell on Friday, August 20, I put a 105mm f/2.8 Nikkor Macro lens on a Nikon D850 DSLR camera body mounted on my tripod and ball head. I also set up my 800 watt-second power pack and two strobe heads, diffused with soft boxes to light the flowers. By using Pocket Wizard® transceivers, one mounted on the camera and another plugged into the power pack’s sync outlet, I synchronized the strobes wirelessly with the camera shutter. No flowers opened that night, but I took practice shots to adjust the lighting and camera settings. The next night the flowers were again a no show. But on Sunday night, August 22, a night with a full moon, no less, three of the buds blossomed. They began opening up after dark and by midnight were open to their fullest extent. The flowers are large, about 6 to 7 inches across. As I worked around them, I could smell their fragrance. The following photos were taken at ISO 200 and with an aperture of f/11. I chose f/11 to have a reasonable depth of field, particularly since the 105mm lens has fairly shallow depth of field at close distances. The camera’s white balance was set to Flash (5400 K). Since the exposure time would be determined by the duration of the flash, the camera shutter speed wasn’t too critical, but I kept it generally around ¼ second to prevent what little ambient light there was from overexposing a distracting background. I saved the images as RAW files so as to have the greatest flexibility and quality when subsequently processing the pictures. 4

Here are some photos illuminated with the strobes. At first, I figured it wouldn’t take me long to do the shoot. I mean, how many pictures of a few flowers can I take? A lot, it turns out. The more I looked the more compositions I saw and I adjusted the lights accordingly for each new angle. Sometimes, with two flowers in the frame at different distances, I took two shots, one focused on each flower in order to focus stack them into a final image during processing. For another variation, I sprayed the flowers with the hose to create water droplets on the petals. Eventually, as the moon rose higher in the sky, its light fell on the plant and now I had another idea. I’d shoot these night blooming flowers by the light of the full moon. I cut the power to the strobes, and, after a few test shots, I got the camera settings dialed in for this new light source. The ISO went up to 2000, the aperture remained at f/11, and exposure time lengthened to anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds. Also, I changed the White Balance to Auto. Compared to shooting film I was grateful for the convenience of digital photography. The ability to change ISO and White Balance by merely turning a dial on the camera is remarkable advancement. Here are some of the photos illuminated by moonlight only. 6

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At dawn the next day, I checked on the plant and took my last shots. Within a few hours, the three flowers would close, shrivel and hang down limply, never to bloom again. After sunset on that evening, Monday August 23, I saw three other buds were about to open and decided to take some more photos. The new buds were well posi-

Illuminated by strobe lights

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tioned on the plant to get some nice compositions. And now, the limp aftermath of the previous night’s flowers could be used as an added element in the composition. Once again, I used the 105mm lens but on this night, I also used a 45mm lens for a wider shot of the entire plant. Here are some photos from the second night.

Same view by moonlight

ll Rights Reserved

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

I used Adobe Photoshop and Topaz Lab’s DeNoise to process the images. In a few images I experimented with Aurora HDR as well.

MAY 2015

Certain images struck me as good candidates to convert to black and white. For these, I used Photoshop and Topaz Labs B&W Effects 2. Here are some images converted to black and white.

The whole time I was out there, as the strobe lights fired, I wondered if my neighbors thought there was a lightning storm outside. The success of this has me wondering what else I can shoot at night using the strobes. I’ll have to look around in my yard. I am pleased with the results of this project and hope you will enjoy these photos. Perhaps you may have unique looking landscaping in your yard, that will result in a stunning photo at night.

Meetings and Meetings and Outings Outings

Sierra Club Camera Committee --

December 9, 2021 Meeting

Member Show! Get together up to 10 of your best shots this year and put them on a thumb drive. You’ll have your 5 minutes of fame when you share in our zoom meeting. More information next issue of Focal Points Magazine.

Zoom Link

Where:

In the comfort of your own home via Zoom

Provided before the presentation See you there!

When: 7:00 PM

What:

The Zoom platform has recently been upgraded to provide high security and ease of operation. Be certain to download or upgrade to the latest vesion before the presentation!

Member Show!

Late Evening, White Sands, NM

©Carole Scurlocklockock

©Joan Schipper

©John Nilsson

Trip Report Fall Color and Mono County Exploration, October 8 through 11, 2021 Finally! Last month the Camera Committee sponsored its first outing since we locked down in pandemic. How lucky we were to come out in time for Fall Colors (and, as it turns out, a taste of Winter). Allan Der has a long history of leading the Committee’s annual Fall outing. Now as a parttime resident of Mono County, his proximity for scouting bolsters his historical knowledge and earned acumen. He led a stellar trip for our band of five photographers, even as the weather

©Joan schipper

turned on us. We started with lunch at Tom’s Place then headed to McGee Creek under an ominous sky and snow in the air. The drive up US 395 showed us promising colors around Crowley Lake. Arriving at a parking area near McGee Creek Trailhead, we reveled in the green moving to yellow and soft light. It was just a taste of the conditions to come. It was cold but colorful. We knocked off early to settle into lodging or make camp and rest ahead of a long day to come. 17

©Carole Scurlock

©John Nilsson

©Carole Sculock

©Joan Schipper

Saturday. Oh, what a day! Allan got us out before dawn to wait for first light on Mono Lake and though we had some doubters, the effort paid off. We came away happy and hungry so we headed to town for breakfast. Food for the soul and the body before we commenced a day of “stop ‘n photo”, i.e., location after location with 45 minutes to an hour allowed at each for assessing the scene and finding the photos. We checked in at Dynamo Pond (not much color but beautiful reflections), and up the Green Creek road with one camping loop after another allowing access to the creek, patches of yellow and, sometimes, orange aspens, sensuous tree trunks, gnarled woods. Snow-draped Dunderberg Mountain stood over us and floated in the reflections amongst the reeds. One last stop on dusty Virginia Lakes Road landed us in a bit of a crowd – to be expected on this holiday weekend in October – but we were a courteous crowd and we got our photos. 18

©Elizabeth Bissirian ©Carole Scurlock

©Joan Schipper

©©John Nilsson

Last stop at Mono Lake Beach just off US 395, north of town. Plenty of folks out for the beautiful tufa reflections and sunset rosy hues that gave way to pearly, royal blues. We called it a day and headed to dinne to plan a different kind of day. Sunday started at Lundy Creek with all the other leaf-peepers in happy camaraderie (so nice in these crazy, divisive times). Then on to Bodie, the historic ghost town preserved in decay as a state park (our Bodie newbie declared it “Wonderful!”) and a drive off the highway on mining roads to Black Point on the north side of Mono Lake. Another beautiful sunset session before dinner. Monday, was the last day. Well, we’d read the weather advisory at dinner and our camper wisely decamped - it got cold and windy over19

G Elizabeth Bessirian ©John Nilsson

night! The four of us remaining had shaken the crowds when Allan opted to start in Lee Vining Canyon – cold but so beautiful in elusive reds! We had plenty of room to roam. A caravan (we suspected a photo workshop) headed up the canyon as we drove away. We left them good light and headed for an unknown. With the changing weather we didn’t know what we’d find at Sagehen Summit. Driving east of SR120, the mood switched to monochrome as the snow overtook our landscape. Sagehen was at the end of its aspen display and cloaked in snow. We opted for tufa and headed for South Beach where we found Mono Lake in turmoil. Breakers crashed on the shore and sea foam flew around like whipped-cream spatters. Most of us walked a brisk tour and made a few quick photos, while Allan seemed 20

©Joan Schipper © Elizabeth Bessirian

to kneel in prayer and came away with the best shot of the day. One last location. With fingers crossed, we drove to Rock Creek and right into Winter. My driving companion and I didn’t last long. Lucky for us, Allan adjourned the outing. We all declared it a success. Then we went for coffee and cocoa. Allan stayed and nabbed the wintery frame we only dreamed about. -- Joan Schipper

Joe’s How-to

Joe’s How-To

High Dynamic Range Photography

tured what he could see with his naked eye, foreshadowed several methods used in digital photography: exposure blending, focusstacking, and panorama stitching. For one image he puzzled together no fewer than ten separately exposed and focused negatives to capture the detail of the cloister of Saint-Trophime, at Arles, France in 1851 (Figure 1). Baldus had the same goal as Adams, Radeka, and Rowell. He wanted to make a realistic image of a place by overcoming the limitations of his tools.

By Joe Doherty

On Christmas Day 1977, when I was 18, I was delighted to receive a gift of three Ansel Adams books: The Negative, The Print, and The Camera. If you are not familiar, these volumes are about the craft of photography rather than the art of photography. While some of the lessons are archaic, the overarching themes are still relevant. Of these, I think the most accessible to contemporary audiences is the idea behind the photography term “High Dynamic Range.”

Fig. 1

High Dynamic Range (HDR) refers to scenes in which there are extremes of light and shadow. Think of the interior of a cathedral, with bright stained glass windows near the ceiling and wooden statues hidden in the recesses of the chapel. The challenge in such a scene is how to capture the relevant detail at the high end of the range without sacrificing detail at the low end. It’s a challenge faced by architectural and landscape photographers everywhere. Adams used techniques like pre-fogging or a water bath to capture the dynamic range of his images. Lynn Radeka uses sophisticated masking in printing. Galen Rowell used graduated neutral density filters in front of the lens to lower the intensity of light in certain areas of a scene, like a snow-capped mountain. Modern photographers take advantage of digital tools by bracketing exposures and blending them in post-processing. It is therefore interesting to know that efforts to overcome the challenges of HDR are at least 170 years old.

I point this out because HDR has gotten a bad reputation. It has been used to create many images that are garish, unrealistic, and better described as illustrations than photographs. But like many things in life, these examples stick out because they are so obvious. The use of HDR in non-obvious ways is seldom mentioned or noticed because the craft takes a back seat to the art. And the craft of HDR has a long history in photography. So how do we know when to use it, and how to use it? To answer the first question I draw upon what I learned from Adams’ books; I need to use HDR techniques

The photographer Edouard Baldus, in an effort to make photographs that cap24

when the camera cannot readily capture what I see with my naked eye. My naked eye compensates for a lot. It can see a mountain peak against a blue sky over an aspen grove, and clearly make out the tree trunks in the shadows. My camera isn’t as adaptable. It measures the sky as many stops brighter than the shadowy tree trunks, and if it isn’t capable of capturing both ends of the range it will drop one or the other (or both). So what do we do? There are two strategies. The first is to see if the in-camera exposure can be “dialed-in” to record sufficient information at both ends of the range, from highlights and shadows. In the digital age we call this “exposing to the right.” We can then balance the extremes in processing. Your camera will not do this automatically. While there is variation among brands and settings, all cameras average the exposure across a scene, to balance the highs and lows, even if that means that the highs and lows are clipped off. This isn’t what we want. We use the histogram in the camera to determine the exposure needed for the shot.

Fig. 2

Figure 3 (below) illustrates what “exposing to the right” means. It is two stops brighter than the earlier exposure (1/10th sec. compared to 1/40th sec.). The image is decently exposed for the foreground, but the mountains and sky are quite bright and not at all pleasing. The histogram reveals, however, that the highlights aren’t clipped (except for two small patches of white snow), which means that they contain usable information. We can use that information in processing to try to recreate what

Figure 2 illustrates what the cam- our eyes see. era’s average exposure for the scene looks like, and the accompanying histogram. Notice that the sky is a nice shade of blue, the mountains are correctly exposed, and the histogram indicates that there is no clipping at the bottom or the top of the exposure range. In other words, this entire scene is within the capabilities of the camera sensor. But also notice that there is a lot of “room” Fig. 3 on the right side of the histogram, and that a lot of the data is clumped near the bottom end. That clump includes aspen trunks in the shadows on the left. We want to increase the exposure so that the trunks are better exposed, with the data clumped as far to the right as possible without clipping. This will give us more information (and thus more separation) in the mid-tones and shadows. 25

From here the process is relatively straightforward. We want to bring the highlights back into the range that looks like what our eyes saw. In Lightroom I use the Graduated Filter (like Rowell did) to lower the exposure on the sky and the mountains by one stop (-1.00) (Figure 4). Lightroom gives us the ability to selectively apply the filter using a Range Mask (it’s at the bottom of the Graduated Filter panel). I apply my one stop adjustment only to values that are at the top of the luminance range (50 to 100), so that my adjustment won’t apply to the shadows. Try it, it’s very cool.

Fig. 5

misses the point, by placing the emphasis on the process and not on the problem. The scene has a high dynamic range, and had I encountered it with my Nikon D70 in 2006 I would have needed multiple frames of different exposures. Once combined, I still would have had to make the same creative decisions I made here. In 2021, the Nikon D850 is inherently capable of recording a broader range of light than the D70. The scene did not change.

Fig. 4

I then finished the process by using the Dehaze slider to simultaneously increase overall contrast, darken the sky, and bring out the wisp of clouds (Figure 5). Evidence for this transformation is in the histogram. There is significant separation across the entire exposure range, and no values are clipped. This was all possible because we overrode the camera’s settings and “overexposed” the image. There is no blending of multiple images, just a purposeful strategy to utilize the inherent range of the technology. It’s a process that would be familiar to Adams and Rowell, and envied by Baldus.

My D850 is not magical, however. Some scenes are beyond its capabilities, and a second strategy is needed. Exposure blending is to be used when the inherent range of the camera cannot capture what the naked eye sees. I use for my example a recent image from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, as an approaching thunderstorm was about the chase us back to camp. The sun was setting behind a squall line to our right, its light penetrating the distant canyons, while clouds swirled overhead. My eye clearly saw the disk of the sun, the glowing canyons, and the majestic clouds. Like Baldus, I had my doubts about whether the camera would see as clearly as I did.

Some might object that this is not HDR, because it doesn’t combine multiple frames of different exposures. I think this objection 26

I set up my camera to do a 3-frame bracket, with each exposure two stops apart. In practice this meant shooting at 1/20th, 1/80th, and 1/5th of a second (Figures 6a, 6b, and 6c). Each frame shows a significant amount of clipping, but each also contains an important part of the image. The darkest one gives me the disk of the sun and some of the drama in the storm, the brightest gives me detail and luminance in the canyons, and the medium gives me clouds and the contours of the landscape.

Fig. 6b

Fig. 6a

Fig. 6c

Where Baldus had to manually cut and paste his negatives, I have the luxury of pushing a few buttons. In Lightroom I selected all three frames, went into the Develop Module, and used the Photo/Merge/HDR option (Ctrl-H) to automatically combine them. This gave me a file with a massive amount of information (much more than my Nikon D850 could produce), which I could use to edit the image. Had I used any single frame I would not have been able to capture the moment; the camera was not capable of it. Using this method, though, I was as unconstrained as a painter to convey the grandeur and the terror of the imminent storm (Figure 7).

Fig. 7

I consider myself a realist. I photograph what I see. But what I see and what the camera captures are not always the same thing. My education in the craft of photography allows me to appreciate that the constraints of the medium rarely disappear, they are just transformed by new technology and equipment. We are always – from Baldus to Adams to Rowell to us -- striving for ways to overcome them. High Dynamic Range photography, used wisely, helps us to keep it real. www.joedohertyphotography.com 27

This Month’s Member Photos

My wife and I recently moved to Marin County on a trial basis to see if we want to make it permanent. We’ve rented a place on Richardson Bay and hadn’t realized that we moved next door to an Audubon Center and Sanctuary. We’ve since joined Audubon and are taking the opportunity to learn about all the wildlife just outside our door. I’ve never been much of a wildlife photographer but I’ve purchased a wildlife lens and now I’m learning. These photos are a sample of some of the birds we’ve seen and are enjoying identifying (using the great Audubon app).

Huntington Beach oil Spill We were all horrified at the recent news of the oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach in Orange County. I decided to go down there a few days after the news broke to photograph it for various news organizations I work with. Based on the reports I had heard, I was prepared for the worst. I decided to make my first stop the Bolsa Chica Wetlands, a place I had frequently photographed and had a lot of concern about. Thankfully, the wetlands were spared as the currents took most of the oil south of the Huntington Beach Pier, so I made my way down the coast a bit to see what I could find. I spotted a clean up crew in a small inlet called the Talbert Marsh. It is a thin strip of wetlands running parallel to the coastline, and the first thing I saw from the bridge crossing it was a blue boom with oil sheen on both sides of it. That’s not a good indication the boom was doing its intended job. I walked down a ways and 39

could see the cleanup crew in their white hazmat suits and orange vests. They were working mostly from small skiffs, cleaning up the oil that had washed up along the shoreline of the marsh. They were using white towels to literally mop up the oil blobs that had turned to sticky tar once it exited the water. Stacks of clean towels lined the road behind them as did the large plastic bags that they used to put the dirty towels into. They also made use of white and yellow booms which acted as a dragnet to attract the oil still floating in the water. It seemed like slow methodical work and would probably take days to complete, possibly longer if new oil leaked into the channel. As I left the area I could see a variety of birds standing next to the water. They were all deliberately staying out of it, except for one poor duck who was flapping its wings frantically in an obvious attempt to rid itself of the oil that had most likely attached to its wings. Across the way, media vans lined PCH to shoot the cleanup activity from the other side the marsh. I ventured over to take a few shots from there as well and quickly got into several conversations with some journalists as to where the other spills might be. As bad as the initial pictures we saw of the oil lining the local beaches, the fact was that seemed to be isolated in several spots, the majority of the beaches I was seeing were clean, thankfully. But I went in search of some locations that might be impacted. 40

I drove down a ways to Newport Beach, expecting to see a closed off beach and potential oil damage. What I found was an otherwise normal looking day at the beach. Hundreds of beachgoers were playing on the sand and even swimming and frolicking in the surf. I walked out a ways to get a closer look at the water and shoreline, and ended up standing there in some disbelief as to what I was witnessing. I began wondering who was crazy: me for thinking this might be some pretty risky behavior, or the beachgoers for pretending a major oil spill wasn’t contaminating the water they were swimming in. As I left I saw a broken and trampled sign saying the water was closed due to the oil spill. It kind of said it all. I made my way to the mouth of the Santa Ana River and saw another cleanup crew. They had just finished creating a large sand berm to block off the river from the ocean, evidently there was a concern that the oil could float upstream and cause more damage. They were also carefully going though the sand and picking up and removing small blobs of tar that had washed ashore. So far this was the only evidence of oil I had seen on a beach. As I left and prepared to return home, the skies darkened, the rain began to sprinkle, loud booms of thunder rang out, and quick blasts of lightening danced on the horizon. My last shot was of a young boy standing on the sand berm watching the show. A surreal ending to a surreal day. I included two shots I took a number of years ago on another assignment that took me out into the Catalina Channel one night, For all I know one of these derricks could be the cause of the leak. I was also incredibly fortunate to see a pod of dolphins swim in the shadow of one of the derricks, a powerful reminder of the awful impact this disaster could possibly have that we can’t even see.

The snow fell quickly in the Eastern Sierra. There wasn’t much, maybe an inch or two, but it lit up the trees and made the fall colors even more pronounced.

The leaves of a river/mountain birch along the shore of McGee Creek, backlit by sunlight reflected from the water below.

We left Los Angeles on October 7th, to be on South Lake Road when the snow arrived on the 8th. We were not disappointed. The gentle temperatures in the preceding week allowed the leaves to come out in their best yellow, orange, and red, and the contrast with white snow was excellent. But snow and freezing temps meant that the colored leaves would soon turn to brown.

A collection of aspen leaves from the Bishop Creek drainage, just before the snow came in on Friday. 45

A detail of Bishop Creek near Aspendell. 46

oe Doherty, All s Reserved

A leaf pile in McGee Creek. 47

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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

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One Morning in Monument Valley The 17-mile scenic drive is really the only way to see Monument Valley. We had scheduled an afternoon and the next morning for investigating this bit of iconic Utah/ Arizona, so we were a bit miffed when we arrived at 4:30 for a sunset shoot. Sorry Paleface, the drive closes at 2:30. See you tomorrow morning. The next morning we were informed that we were welcome to come in if we had the $20.00 but OBW you have to be out of the park in 2 hours. Hardly enough time to traverse the 17 miles of poor road! Definitely not tourist oriented here on the res.

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The Right and Left mittens at 7:05 am

The Mitten 50

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Monuments - 6 deep

Wild Egyptian Burros. Migrated here from Death Valley mining camps over 100 years ago. Lots of them here now! 51

Editor’s Note: Welcome Alex Slobin, our newest Camera Committee member! We look forward to meeting Alex and enjoying his photos and stories!

Welcome to North West wanderings. Not much distant travel these past few months. So enjoy the captures from my yard, a little Palouse and our Columbia Basin. Fall colors are hit and miss this year because of the extreme heat this past summer. We finally had some rains the past two weeks which was much appreciated.

Sand Patterns- when you go to the ocean hoping for beautiful skies and only have cloudless windy days time to look smaller and down at your feet. Left:

Above: Cosmos Sun- as fires raged into September smoky evening light was the norm so my garden was handy to for the highly filtered evening sunlight.

Above: Bales on the Palouse- as evening light fades this was a roadkill image out the car window that caught my eye. The soft pastel colors in a 3-image panorama.

Right: Red Mountain Fire- our sunrises and sunsets here in Eastern Washington can rival any location in the west. Red Mountain is a world renowned wine making location. Home of the Antinori family winery-Col Solare. Oldest wine makers in the world since 1385AD. 58

Fall Cluster- at Kiona Vineyards at Red Mountain

Tranquility on Alder Creek- out prospecting in Oregon last week couldn’t pass this image up. 60

Reata Vineyardshad to get on my roof at sunrise to get the angle my minds eye wanted. The wines from this little vineyard are stunning. He is a hobbyist and can’t sell but we traded for some photos.

Bark Beetle Art- out prospecting came across this log covered in beetle chewing designs designs. 61

Geometric Storm-Aurora out break- several weeks ago just north of the TriCities in almost dark skies the lights started dancing just after sunset and went on till after midnight.

Food of Thought- sign posted near where we have permission to go prospecting.

Autumn’s Enchanted Forest

Top Left - Alpes di Suisi. German-speaking section of the Dolomites close to the border of Switzerland Left Middle - Alpes di Suisi – another view Below Left – Lago di Braies – when you boot up Lightroom Classic this is the lake you see while the system is loading Right Above – Passo Giau – this pass is at the top of 25 switchbacks Right Below– Tre Cime – this pass and the surrounding area was the site of fierce battles during World War 1.

In September of 2021 my wife and I along with fellow MHWPC member Tom Loucks joined a Hans Kruse workshop in the Dolomites of northern Italy. Good weather allowed a great opportunity to photograph the incredible peaks and valleys of the southern Alps. We spent 4 to 5 days in the western end near Bolzano, Italy and the last 4 days in the eastern end near Cortina D’Ampezzo.

If you ever get a chance to travel this part of Italy you will be rewarded with some of the most incredible views in Europe.

Far Left Top – Passo Pordoi – the German War Memorial Far Left Middle - A mountain village as seen from the Observatory Max Valier Far Left Bottom – Samta Maddalena and Sct. Johan in Val di Funes Center – A mountain stream Below – Lago di Carezza with the Latemar Mountains as a backdrop

Butch Mazzuca

I just finished a one-day bird workshop....

The Black and White Pages

Early snow and frost left Lee Vining Canyon full of aspens with green leaves and brown leaves, and very few yellow or orange leaves. So I spent some time photographing the creek.

Joe Doherty Nikon D850 Tamron SP 24-70 F2.8 @ 42mm f/8, 1 Sec, ISO 30

Dreams of Fireflies and showers of leaves Velda Ruddock Nikon D750 Nikon 28-300 @ 62mm 1/13 @ f/11, ISO 200

General Store Bodie, CA John Nilsson

Leica M10 Monchrome Zeiss 35mm f/8@1/125 ISO 800 Taken through glass in a locked front door

Contributor Bios

Steve Anderson

John Clement

Steve worked primarily in the conventional

John began his career in photography in the early 70’s after graduating from Central Washington University with a double major in Geology and Geography. Since then he has earned a Masters of Photography from the Professional Photographers of America. He has received over 65 regional, national and international awards for his pictorial and commercial work. His photographs grace the walls of many businesses in the Northwest and has been published in numerous calendars and coffee table books. He has provided photographs for Country Music Magazine and for Northwest Travel Magazine. He has supplied murals for the Seattle Seahawks Stadium and images for The Carousel of Dreams in Kennewick, WA. Current projects include 17 – 4x8 foot glass panels featuring his landscapes in Eastern Washington for the Pasco Airport Remodel. Last year he finished a major project for the Othello Medical Clinic where almost 200 images were used to decorate the facilities ranging in size from 24” to 35’ in size. His work can be viewd at:

medium of Black and White silver-based photography for many years as he explored the natural landscape of the local San Gabriel Mountains and his beloved High Sierra in California. In the last 20 years he has engaged in digital photography as it has opened up new avenues and excitement about making images of the natural scene. His interest in photography began in junior high school when he developed his first roll of film from a Kodak Brownie camera. He became very interested in combining photography and traveling adventures as a member of the Highlanders, a mountaineering club at Pasadena City College. His work turned more serious during military service as the landscape became his focus of attention. Steve’s interest in the environmental movement, starting in his college days, led him to actively seek ways of using his photography to help in a personally significant way. He joined the Mono Lake Committee 40 years ago and has been an active leader in the Sierra Club since 1981. He served as the chairperson of the Camera Committee of the Angeles Chapter for 5 years.

www.johnclementgallery.com John Clement Photography Face Book Professional page The Kiona Winery in Benton City, and at Allied Arts Gallery in Richland, WA.

Steve’s images have appeared in Sierra, the Southern Sierran, Images of the West, A Portrait of Bodie, and the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Schedule of Activities. Some of his monochrome images were significant contributions to help save Mono Lake. He has had work shown in a number of local galleries. Steve was the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Artist in Residence in 2015. Steve has published four photography books that are available through Blurb.com. “My images sum up my feelings about the grandeur of nature. It is never just one thing that touches me when I try to capture a moment, but always a vast array of emotional and photographic textures. Most of my images are therefore complex and detailed.” Email: sandersonimagery@outlook.com Viewingwebsite:www.pbase.com/spanderson 88

JW Doherty

John Fisanotti

Joe Doherty grew up in Los Angeles and developed his first roll of film in 1972. He has been a visual communicator ever since. He spent his teens and twenties working in photography, most of it behind a camera as a freelance editorial shooter. He switched careers when his son was born, earning a PhD in political science from UCLA specializing in American politics and research methods. This led to an opportunity to run a research center and teach at UCLA Law, where he became best known as an empirical bankruptcy scholar. After retiring from UCLA in 2016 he continued to consult, but now he and his wife Velda Ruddock spend much of their time in the field, across the West, capturing the landscape.

As a youth, John’s interest in photography stemmed from an interest in astronomy. His first photos were attempts to photograph the night sky using a folding Kodak camera, that once belonged to an uncle. Later, John used a 35mm rangefinder camera to photograph nature, particularly the San Gabriel Mountains above his home in La Crescenta. After high school, John sold his telescope to purchase a 35mm SLR camera outfit. John was a photography major in his first three years of college. He has used 35mm, 2-1/4 medium format and 4x5 view cameras. John expected to be a commercial photographer. His personal work leaned heavily to shooting landscapes and outdoors. In 1977 John changed majors. After graduating from California State University Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Urban Studies in 1979, John’s first post job college was in a commercial photo laboratory. In 1980, he pivoted from photography and began his 32-year career in public service. John worked for four Southern California cities in city planning, community development and redevelopment, and concluded his career as a Project Manager for the Culver City Redevelopment Agency. During these decades, he continued to shoot outdoor scenic images whenever possible. After retiring from public service in 2012, John has pursued his astronomical and photographic interests. Beginning in 2013, John has been a telescope operator for the 60" reflector telescope at Mt. Wilson Observatory. And John has increased his photographic portfolio concentrating on outdoors, landscape, travel and astronomical images. Beginning in 2018, he has expanded his repertoire to include architectural and real estate photography. Occasionally, John has been fortunate to have photographs selected for various exhibitions or publications. He currently shoots with Nikon DSLR cameras. John’s photographic websites: Landscape, Travel and Astronomical images http://www.johnfisanottiphotography.com; Architectural and Real Estate photography are at http://www.architecturalphotosbyfisanotti.com. Contact John at either jfisanotti@sbcglobal.net or fisanottifotos@gmail.com. 89

Phil Witt

Velda Ruddock

Phil Witt has been photographing nature since he got his first SLR camera in the late 70s. An avid birder, he is a volunteer at the Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary of NJ Audubon in Bernardsville, where he coleads the photography workshop series. He is currently on NJ Audubon’s Board of Directors. He is a past president of the Camera Naturalist Photo Club, and program chair of the Somerset County Camera Club. He judges photography competitions and presents instructional programs at photography clubs throughout New Jersey. He received the NJ Federation of Camera Club’s 2017 Citation for service to photography in the state.

Creativity has always been important to me. I received my first Brownie camera for my twelfth birthday and I can’t remember a time I’ve been without a camera close at hand. I studied the social sciences and art, and later earned a Masters degree in Information and Library Science degree. All of my jobs allowed me to be creative, entrepreneurial, and innovative. For the last 22 years of my research career I was Director of Intelligence for a global advertising and marketing agency. TBWA\ Chiat\Day helped clients such as Apple, Nissan, Pepsi, Gatorade, Energizer, and many more, and I was considered a leader in my field.

He and his wife enjoy traveling the world for photography--Antarctica, the Galapagos, Tanzania, Iceland, Costa Rica, among others.

During our time off, my husband, Joe Doherty and I would travel, photographing family, events and locations. However, in 2011 we traveled to the Eastern Sierra for the fall colors, and although we didn’t realize it at the time, when the sun came up over Lake Sabrina, it was the start of change in our careers.

When not birding or photographing, he is a (mostly retired) forensic psychologist, specializing in legal cases and court testimony. https://philwitt.smugmug.com

By 2016 we had both left our “day jobs,” and we started traveling – and shooting nature – big and small – extensively. Our four-wheel drive popup camper allowed us to go to areas a regular car can’t go and we were – and are – always looking for our next adventure.

Susan Manley

Paul Reinstein

Susan Manley has more than 35 years experience as a photographer. Her career consisted mainly working in a Communications Department writing and shooting a wide variety of public relations and photojournalism photos. Since she retired approximately ten years ago, she switched her focus onto nature photography including landscapes and wildlife in America.

I have two lifelong hobbies; photography and fine woodworking. My father fostered both those interests. At 14, right before I went on a 1 week backpacking trip around Yosemite Valley with my friend Joe (16) who could drive, my father taught me the basics of using a camera on an Olympus camera that shot half frames on 35mm film. Can you imagine allowing a 14 year old to do that in today’s world? By 20, I was fully independent. In my 20s, I bought a Minolta SRT101, and I also started dabbling in woodworking as a way to have simple furniture while working my way through college (Biochemistry, UCLA). I even had a simple B&W darkroom for a while. I shot mostly landscapes. After getting my degree, I decided I didn’t like working in that field, so I went back to school, and worked my way through a masters degree (Electronics Engineering, CSULB). I spent the majority of my career at The Aerospace Corp, working mostly on electrical power systems for rockets and satellites for the Air Force, NASA and the NRO. During that time, when not working, I began focusing mostly on fine woodworking, shooting occasional snapshots. By 50, my woodshop was enviable, my wife and I were flipping homes on the side, I was a manager at work, and digital cameras reignited my interest in photography. When the music stopped in real estate, we built our own home in Mar Vista. Then, my boss, and his boss both died unexpectedly (and independently), a huge layoff was announced, and I was retired. I got my general contractor’s license, and tried that for a couple of years. I retired fully at 60, earlier than I would have imagined.

ssnmanley@Yahoo.com

By 2016, I had amassed a number of bird photos, just by happenstance, so I decided to see what I could get that number up to, just for fun. That turned out to be eminently satisfying, albeit expensive, and now I spend much of my time shooting birds locally or travelling worldwide to do so. My big birding trips so far include the Galapagos and the UK, and my list is presently up to about 350 species, and I have a small presence on Instagram and on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/preinstein54/. I’ve sold a few images upon request, several of my friends have my images on their walls, and I still dabble in woodworking, including making my own frames.

Jeff Gottesman

Wiebe Gortmaker

I first became interested in photography back in high school sometime in the last century. My father worked for many years in a professional camera store in Pittsburgh (Kadet Photo Supply) where he did the picture framing.

I am based in Boulder, Colorado and consider myself a full-time hobbyist. After retiring from the airlines, I have devoted a high percentage of my time to travel and learning photography.

I spent a few summers working in that camera store mostly doing shipping and receiving but every chance I got, I would be talking with and learning from the salesmen who knew everything about cameras and photography.

In the past few years I have moved from travel photography to primarily wildlife and landscape photography. Prior to the airlines, I spent considerable time in remote areas of Alaska and Central and South America. I am now able to revisit those places with a focus on photography.

At the end of the summer they gave me a used Pentax Spotmatic 500 and there began my love of photography. I did all the shooting and darkroom work for my high school yearbook and later as a photographer and writer for college newspapers. At the same time, I developed a love of nature and graduated college with a degree in Geology (with several electives in Photography). That was where all the environmentalists spent their time.

I have lived in Colorado since college and spent a lot of time flying, hiking, and climbing in the wild places in my back yard. With my new hobby I am looking at these places in a new way, trying to preserve the image and feelings I have of the wildlife and landscape. This process motivates me to learn and discover.

The love of nature and photography were a perfect match and after retiring from IT a few years ago (there was a career change somewhere in there) I’ve returned to those early loves and am able to spend a lot more time on photography, enjoying workshops and especially the Sierra Club trips :).

Wiebe is concentrating on his photography at this time and is not currently active on social media. He does plan to have a website together in the near future.

My photos can be seen at https://www.jeffgottesmanphotography.com/

Joyce Harlan I have always loved photography! First to document and save photos of my sons. We had little to no money for film developing in the beginning but I kept shooting. Every year my husband would ask me what I wanted for Christmas/birthday and I would always say “develop my film”!! After several years he finally did, but everything was yellow but the memories were there. From there, when I was coaching downhill skiing for Westside Special Olympics, I took photos of my athletes and created a book for each of them. The pure joy I saw on their and their family’s faces was priceless!

Allen Johnson I'm a PhD in psychology with a passion

for photography. I'm also the author of several books: a memoir on France entitled "Pardon My French" and two novels: "The Awakening" and "Spike, Benny, and Boone."

Finally, I was at Mammoth skiing with my family (grandkids!!) and we had lunch at Bergers Burgers. They had the most gorgeous landscape photos on they walls. I asked the waitress about them and she said they were by Vern Clevenger and that he often came in for lunch after skiing and she would point him out for me. She did, I asked about workshops and he said “absolutely”. That was it!! I took one workshop from him and many, many more with Mountain Light in Bishop with Jack Dykinga, John Shaw, Jerry Dodrill, David Meunch and Jeff Foote. One of the most memorable was their ten day inaugural rafting the Grand Canyon trip with Jack & Jerry. Over the years I have been blessed to travel the world with Muench Workshops (Cuba, Yukon, Mongolia, Alaska) Visionary Wild (Botswana, Kenya, Patagonia, Greenland), Aurora Expenditions (Antarctica), and Nathaniel Smalley (Iceland, Maine fall color). Photography mixed with travel has been my favorite soul food for a long, long time. And will continue to be for as long as I am able. Sadly, I am missing a trip to China in April and Uganda in June to see the gorillas. But I’ll get there as soon as it is safe again.

Butch Mazzuca

John Nilsson

I was born in Chicago IL and attended the University of Dayton. After graduation I served four and half years as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps.

I have a fond memory from my early years of my father dragging me to the Denver Museum of Natural History on a winter Sunday afternoon. He had just purchased a Bosely 35mm camera and had decided he wanted desperately to photograph one of the dioramas. I distinctly remember the display was of several Seal Lions in a beautiful blue half-light of the Arctic winter that required a tricky long exposure. The transparency he showed me several weeks later was spectacular and mysterious to my young eyes. Although the demands of Medical School made this photo one of the first and last he shot, at 5 years old I was hooked.

My last official ‘work' position was President & CEO of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co-Denver. I Retired in 1999 and moved to Vail where I taught skiing, a “fundamentals of photography” class at our local community college and wrote (still do) commentary for the Vail Daily Newspaper. I Started taking pictures in 2008 when my wife Bobbi “talked me” into traveling to Africa (we returned seven more times! ) My images have been published in Shutter Bug Magazine, Sarasota Magazine, Travel Africa Magazine (5 times) and Africa Geographic (6 times including two photo essays) I consider myself a generalist although African wildlife and landscape photography are my favorites.

The arrival of the digital age brought photography back to me as a conscious endeavor - first as a pastime enjoyed with friends who were also afflicted, and then as a practitioner of real estate and architectural photography during my 40 years as a real estate broker. Since retiring and moving to Los Angeles, I have continued my hobby as a nature and landscape photographer through active membership in the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Camera Committee and my vocation as a real estate photographer through my company Oz Images LA. The camera is now a tool for adventure!

www.OzImagesLA.com dtlanow@gmail.com

David DesRochers

Larry Miller

In the summer of 2000, David traveled from New Jersey to Montana to visit Glacier National Park. With camera in hand, he attempted to capture the amazing wildlife and beautiful landscapes. Although his photos were somewhat disappointing, the experience inspired him to study the art of photography and travel the world to witness and capture the wonders of our natural world.

I bought my first SLR camera in 1985 to document hikes in the local mountains that I did with friends. My first Sierra Club Camera Committee outing was a wildflower photo shoot in the Santa Monica Mountains led by Steve Cohen in 1991. Since then the SCCC has introduced me to many other scenic destinations, including the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, the Gorman hills, Saddleback Butte State Park, East Mojave National Preserve, the Eastern and Southern Sierras, Point Reyes, the Big Sur Coast, the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Red Rock Canyon State Park, Tejon Ranch, and Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. At the same time, my own photography trips gradually expanded in scope over the years to include most of the western National Parks and National Monuments, with the Colorado Plateau becoming a personal favorite.

David is a member of the North American Nature Photography Association and an Associate Naturalist with The New Jersey Audubon Society. Over the past 15 years, David has shared his knowledge teaching workshops, leading tours, and writing articles. David’s photos have been recognized in several international competitions and have been published in books, magazines and on calendars. David is an accomplished public speaker and has appeared at events including the New England Camera Club Council Annual Conference (2014 & 2016), the Connecticut Association of Photographers and New Jersey Audubon's Birding Festival.

Photography is an avocation that took a backseat to my career during the 32+ years that I worked as a radar systems engineer at Hughes Aircraft/ Raytheon Company. Since retiring in 2013, I’ve been able to devote more time to developing my photographic skills. Experiencing and sharing the beauty of nature continues to be my primary motivation.

David's experience judging photo competitions has taken him as far as Budoia, Italy to judge the Bio Photo Contest. In 2014, David was awarded the New Jersey Federation of Camera Clubs Citation in recognition for his contributions to the advancement of the art and science of photography in the state.

www.desrochersphography.com

Thomas Loucks Tom has been a longstanding amateur photographer, but only in recent years has he had more serious time to devote to the hobby. He garnered first place in National Audubon’s 2004 Nature’s Odyssey contest and has placed well in several contests by Nature’s Best, Denver Audubon’s Share the View, and the Merrimack Valley’s George W. Glennie Nature Contest. He has two images of “Alumni Adventurers” on permanent display at Dartmouth College. He is also the incoming President of Mile High Photo Club in Denver (2021-2022) where he currently serves as VP and as a Director. His photographic interests are landscape, wildlife, and travel photography, though his favorite subjects are alpine landscapes. Recently retired, Tom is looking forward to spending more time on photography and other outdoor activities. He recently signed up as a volunteer with Denver Audubon to assist with field trips and hopes that those will soon resume.

Basil Katsaros A native of Denver, Colorado, I first attended Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Not understanding humidity or seeing the sun for 30 days, I transferred to the University of Colorado. During my junior year, a roommate needed money and sold me his Pentax 35mm camera. That moment launched my interest in photography. My interests and knowledge were expanded by the Nikon School of Photography. In the earlier days, subject matter centered around my twin sons with travel photos and Christmas cards. As a real estate appraiser, I used photography in much of my work. I must admit, however, the 70’s primarily utilized a Polaroid as film was too time consuming for client demands. I have since graduated to two Nikon digital cameras and too many lenses. While attempting to downshift in work, I occasionally use my photography skills to testify as an expert witness in real estate. My interests include travel, landscape, and wildlife photography. I’m not smart enough to have a website, maybe someone can show me how. Most images are for personal enjoyment and mainly remain in my computer. My goal at this time is too not only become a better photographer, but to conquer Photoshop!!!

Peter Bennett

Karen Schuenemann

My mother’s father was a studio photographer on the Coney Island Boardwalk, my father’s father was an artist in Germany, and my father was a filmmaker and amateur still photographer in New York, so naturally I decided to pursue a career in music. Luckily after hearing the error of my ways, I picked up my father’s old Nikkormat and haven’t looked back since.

Karen Schuenemann is a Nature and Wildlife photographer frequently found exploring the parks and wetlands of Southern California. In 2015, she left her retail management job to pursue her passion for Wildlife Photography. Her work focuses on “Urban Wilderness” and she spent over 100 days photographing the Red Foxes in her neighborhood in 2020 during the COVID 19 pandemic. She recently was awarded a Highly Commended Award-Bird Behavior in the 2018 Wildlife Photographer of the Year sponsored by the London Natural History Museum. Her work was exhibited in Davos, Switzerland at the World Economic Summit in 2019. In 2017 she was the Professional Honorable Mention in the National Audubon Contest. Her work has hung in the London Natural History Museum and has been included in shows at the San Diego Natural History Museum, The G2 Gallery, Palos Verdes Art Center and Armenia Conservation Show. She has been published in Nature’s Best, Audubon Magazine, USA Today, NANPA, Shadow and Light Magazine, and American Photo Magazine. In addition, she has garnered numerous awards from Best in Show in Los Angeles County Fair to Honorable Mention in the National Park Contest. She enjoys writing about her photographic adventures and has written articles for NANPA and enjoyed being a judge in several photography contests. She was the 2019 President for the Photography and Digital Artists group of the Palos Verdes Art Center and was the volunteer Faculty Coordinator for the NANPA High School Scholarship Program in Tennessee. She currently leads workshops to a variety of locations from Bosque Del Apache, to the Grand Tetons to Africa and Central America with her company, Wilderness At Heart Photography, LLC. She enjoys teaching classes at Samy’s Cameras in Los Angeles and Tuttle Cameras in Long Beach.

From 1998 to 2014 I ran my own stock agency, Ambient Images, which specialized in photos of New York and California. In 2015 I formed Citizen of the Planet, LLC, devoted exclusively to the distribution of my stories and work that focus on environmental subjects such as water and air quality issues, fossil fuels, drought, green construction, alternative energies and urban farming. My editorial work has appeared in numerous publications and books, and I am privileged to have my fine art prints hang in museums, the California State Capitol and many other private institutions and collectors. I’ve also had to opportunity to have worked with many local environmental organizations including FoLAR (Friends of the LA River), Heal the Bay, Algalita Marine Research Foundation, Communities for a Better Environment, and the LA Conservation Corps. I have been an instructor for over ten years at the Los Angeles Center of Photography (formerly the Julia Dean Photo Workshops). I love teaching photography and having the opportunity to pass on what I was given from all the amazing teachers I’ve had the honor to learn from.

Karen currently celebrates life with her husband and two dogs in St. George, Utah. 97

Bob Beresh

Bob Cates

Los Angeles is where commercial photographer Bob Beresh will always call home, but having recently relocated to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, he is truly a global creative. His commercial photography includes work for clients in automotive, aviation, corporate executive and business portraiture, architecture, and product work. Bob’s photos are influenced by his observations in nature, travel and sports to deliver memorable images.

Bob Cates led his first Camera Committee outing in 1975 as co-leader with Allan Der, so his roots go way back. He has chaired the Angeles Chapter History Committee since the mid-70s, and as such has archived tens of thousands of photographic images, many from his own documentation of Club outings, but also images donated from hundreds of Club members. He is primarily a nature/landscape photographer, but is also drawn to macrophotography— primarily of botanical subjects. Since 2015 he has lived in Pasadena and frequently may be found haunting the grounds of the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens.

Bob served two years as US Forest Service Artist in Residence to interpret and showcase the beauty of the Angeles National Forest and is past Chairman of the Sierra Club Camera Committee, Angeles Chapter.”

bentriver.co bobbereshstudio.com

Smoky Light on Prune Orchard Road- in the Palouse as sometimes the smoke can serve to make beautiful rays eminating from the overcast. @2021 John Clemment, AllRights Reserved

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Causes, Notes, and Announcements

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Notes and Announcements Sierra Club National Chapter Has authorized limited and controlled day and overnight outings. However, in-person indoor meetings are still on hold due to Covid-19 Let’s all look forward to the 2022!

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Susan Manley Writes: fyi ----- Forwarded Message ----From: Marina Scarr <birdphotoinfo@gmail.com> To: Marina Scarr <miniminsk@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, October 5, 2021, 12:03:01 PM PDT Subject: Jeffrey Munoz of Distinctive Expeditions & Rainforest Photo Tours Hello: Attached are 3 notarized affidavits concerning thefts by Jeffrey Munoz who you may know is a Costa Rican nature photography tour leader/guide. These affidavits (attachments not included due to personal information) have been delivered to the Organismo de Investigacion Judicial (OIJ) in Costa Rica which is the equivalent of our FBI for their consideration in bringing criminal charges against Munoz. The OIJ has advised that the complaints are currently being investigated. The same documents have also been delivered to the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) which is the Costa Rican Bureau of Tourism. (One of the Affidavits is in Spanish because it was prepared by the Costa Rican Consulate and outlines Munoz’ theft of a Canon 500mm lens.) While I have had no personal dealings with Munoz, it seems time that he be exposed in an effort to spare fellow nature photographers from falling prey to one of his schemes. Please click on this link and read the reviews from some of his victims. https://www.trustpilot.com/review/distinctiveexpeditions.com. While this email relates specifically to Munoz, unscrupulous practices are becoming more commonplace and several tour leaders have recently been outed on social media. Please do your due diligence when choosing a workshop leader or guide. Don’t simply rely on name recognition and/or assumed reputation. Check the reviews closely and obtain referrals from other photographers. Closely read the fine print of all cancellation and refund policies. Finally, remember that travel insurance can act as a safety net. Thank you in advance for your time. Marina Scarr

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Joe Doherty Writes: I was awarded 1st Place (Photography - Color) in the Yosemite Sierra Artists 50th Anniversary Exhibition (online) for my Fall Color photo at North Lake in 2020. The link to the exhibition is here: https://yosemitearts.com/ysa50/

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Velda Ruddock and Joe Doherty are pleased to announce that they are both publishing calendars this year. In her work, “Flowers in a Time of Quarantine,” Velda includes photographs that she created in response to the pandemic shutdown. “It became essential for me to look for beauty where I could. Often that was through flowers. Photographing them in my studio was surprisingly intimate, and the flowers themselves seemed to express how I‚ WE‚ felt during this time of isolation, how we missed others, or might be bored, how we looked for order in our lives, and how we learned to be excited about small things now, like the way the sun hits our face.” The collection of photographs Joe includes in “The Public’s Land 2022” are drawn from his travels near and far. This is the 4th in a series of calendars in which he celebrates land that is owned by the public, and managed for the public, by local, state, and federal agencies. Thus the subjects include grand national parks and local wildlife reserves. “These places would not exist without a political and cultural effort to preserve them for future generations. The Sepulveda Basin is as worthy of that effort as Yellowstone, and perhaps needs it more.

The calendars can be ordered from https://joe-doherty.squarespace.com/ordering

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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 107

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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 published. 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 literally 100s 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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Focal Points

Angeles Chapter Camera Committee Magazine November 2020

Focal Points Sierra Club Camera Committee Magazine December, 2020

Focal Points Sierra Club Camera Committee Magazine January 2021

Do you enjoy receiving your monthly copy of Focal Points Magazine, as well as full membership to the Sierra Club Camera Committtee and access to our extensive programming and trips? If your answer is "Yes" and you want to continue receiving Focal Points Magazine, 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

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Photo of the Month

Julia Butterfly Sandra Kirwin

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The Parting Shot

The Treasure is buried HERE! Leader Contacts John Nilsson, Chairman

213-266-2224 Leader, Editor - Focal Points Magazine information.sccc@gmail.com

Steve Anderson, Leader

sandersonimagery@outlook.com

John Boyle, Leader jboyle6300@gmail.com

Allan Der, Leader,

714-892-4857

ader@sprynet.com

714-962-2054

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

Velda Ruddock - Communications Chair

323-828-8334

vruddock.sccc@gmail.com

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(310) 500-5995

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Focal Points Magazine Novermber 2021 Final Issue

Articles inside

Joe's How-To