Arik, a past president of the Somerset County Photography Club, is a photographer and photography instructor who focuses on the creative aspects of the photographic art form.

He has experience in the complete photographic process, including analog photography, darkroom work, and extensive digital imaging.

He frequently judges photo contests, including multiple international Salon competitions and juried exhibitions. Arik presents photography programs internationally and exhibits his fine art photography. He also photographs events and conducts photography workshops.

Arik is the recipient of numerous awards in photo contests and his work and articles have been published in the US and internationally.

There is no meeting in the month of December.  We will be attending our annual Christmas Banquet.  Be sure to register for this event on our member website by Nov 30th.

Please join us at our next meeting on January 10th when we will have a presentation “Bad Weather Photography”  

Location of the meeting will be listed before the January meeting.

“Photo Essay” meetings are among the most popular meetings the club schedules.  Members have the opportunity to share their images with the audience in a five minute timeframe. Images could be from current work, from a trip, or from the neighborhood, or anything!  The number of images can range from one to any number, as long as they can be presented in five minutes or less.  You can narrate the presentation or include music using specialized software.  Members are asked to introduce their photo essay and be available to answer questions following the images.

The meeting will be held at Stonecom, 1 Stonecom Way
Cookeville, TN 38506

There is no meeting in the month of December.  We will be attending our annual Christmas Banquet.  Be sure to register for this event on our member website by Nov 30th.

Please join us at our next meeting on January 10th when we will have a presentation “Bad Weather Photography”  

Location of the meeting will be listed before the January meeting.

Major Steve Neer has been a member of the Cumberland Squadron of Civil Air Patrol for 11 years.  He has served in many capacities, including
Squadron Commander, Emergency Services Officer, and currently Director of Communications for the Tennessee Wing.  One of the functions of Civil Air Patrol is aerial photography. As a Qualified Aerial Photographer.

Major Neer is in the air following weather or man made disasters for
damage assessment, determining the stability of roads and bridges, and
other important work.  If you’ve seen photos of the Gulf oil spills and
weather disasters, chances are they were taken by Civil Air Patrol. 
Major Neer and other members of CAP perform lots of other functions, but he wants to show you what they do in the field of aerial photography. 
It’s a practical application of photography that we don’t always think
about.  Join Major Neer as he shows the equipment used and shares some photos taken by CAP.

Getty Photo Challenge

In early 2020 just after the world put a mask on, the Getty Museum introduced an idea to creative people all over the world. The idea was presented to schools, clubs, bloggers, and all sorts. Many took the guidance of the Getty Museum to recreate works of art in their own vision. The challenge was that of mimicking the great artists of the world. How, you say? Well, the challenge was to take a masterpiece such as, the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, and re-create it into your own version. This is done through art, crayons, drama, you name it, someone tried it.  Many chose to use photography to recreate the great masterpieces. For examples, Google ‘Images for Getty Museum Challenge’ . The point of the project is to study the masterpiece and then determine how it could be closely approximated through a photo.

Have fun with it! Get creative! We will present your efforts at this meeting. This is not a contest; just plain old fun. You should take a picture of the original images that you choose and then the next photo would be your recreation. We hope to see many examples. Visualize your surroundings with the great masterpieces in mind.  The list is endless and so are the possibilities. Some are serious efforts to duplicate as near as possible while others are a grand effort to cause laughter – the world’s best medicine.

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For this contest members must submit an image showing movement. The images submitted by club members must indicate motion of the primary subject by showing a blur of the subject or background due to motion during the exposure.

During our standard contests, images are evaluated by three club members. For this competition, images will be judged and critiqued by an experienced representative from the Photographic Society of America (PSA).

Images will be uploaded to Photographic Society of America website for evaluations about 2 weeks prior to the completion.  During the evening of the competition, the PSA judge will appear via Zoom to present her critique of the images.

Exhibition
Members will submit their favorite images to share with the club. This is our members’ chance to show off what they’ve been working on lately! The exhibitions have become a member favorite activity. A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries, and discussion will follow the slideshow. Images may be of any subject or from any time frame.

The meeting will be held at First Presbyterian Church, 20 N. Dixie Ave., Cookeville.

Producing a composite image is the process of combining two or more images into a single unified image where the images are seamlessly blended together.

The basics of creating a composite will be covered, via video tutorials, including: 1) use of layers in Photoshop 2) image selections based on lighting direct, temperature and point of view, and 3) Photoshop blending modes. Club member, Steve Kuss, will address attendee’s questions at the end of the video presentations.

A simple example of a composite image is a portrait of a large family gathering where no single images capture all the family members with their eyes open. A composite image, by selecting portions of the multiple images, can produce a desired family portrait where all member have their eyes open.

More complex composite images can create complete fantasy worlds.

The Aug meeting will be held at 7pm at the First Presbyterian Church (second floor meeting room) 20 N. Dixie Ave. Cookeville.

Panorama
For this contest members, must enter images that have wide horizon extent with the width of the image typically being 2 times or more the height of the image. The image can be achieved by using a one image from a wide angle lens or alternatively from series of images combined during post processing.

Exhibition
Members will submit their favorite images to share with the club. This is our members’ chance to show off what they’ve been working on lately! The exhibitions have become a member favorite activity. A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries, and discussion will follow the slideshow. Images may be of any subject or from any time frame.

Our annual picnic is on the evening of June 14^th (regular club meeting night) starting at 6PM. Gary is hosting the picnic at his home. Please sign up for the picnic on our website, so we have an estimate of number of members and guests who will attending. Members are requested to bring their own main course, side dish or dessert to share with others.

Bring your camera. This year we are doing a scavenger hunt as part of the picnic.

In accordance with current Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, only attendees that have been not fully vaccinated are requested to wear a mask.

Cookeville Camera Club member, LoisAnn Shannon will give a presentation during May’s club meeting. Our meeting will be held at Stonecom, One Stonecom Way, Cookeville.

LoisAnn Shannon is a photographer based in Chattanooga TN. She has years of experience shooting local ballet, theater, and opera performances. LoisAnn is also a digital artist who loves to take photos of nature and local attractions. She enjoys traveling and snapping photos of her various adventures.

In her spare time, LoisAnn loves to be “by the water”, whether it’s swimming at the beach, relaxing at a lake, or rowing on the river. LoisAnn is also a fan of opera and ballet, and has enjoyed practicing and performing ballet for several years. LoisAnn enjoys classical music, and played cello in the Chattanooga Community Orchestra for four years.

It is said that THE BEST camera is the one you have with you and more often than not, it’s the camera  you have in your pocket or purse. Today, using editing apps, not only can one take good camera phone photos, they can be edited on the spot and posted on location. There’s something very satisfying about taking shots and editing them before you even leave the location, rather than getting home with a few hundred photos to cull, edit and post [which often doesn’t happen]. Using phone apps, beginning with Snapseed, we will discover that many common tasks often accomplished in Photoshop can be done on one’s phone [sometimes more easily and with fewer steps]. Hence the title, “I Can Do (on my phone) What You Can Do in PS and Lr Better”.

Water
Members can submit any image associate with “Water” for this contest. This includes but not limited to, still water (ex lakes), running water (ex streams, waterfalls), or frozen water (any form of ice).

A presentation will be given by club member Lois Ann Shannon.

The meeting will be held at Stonecom. Address is 1 Stonecom Way, just of Old Sparta Rd.

Arrive early to socialize. Meeting starts at 7.

Photo Exhibition

Members will submit their favorite images to share with the club. This is our members’ chance to show off what they’ve been working on lately! The exhibitions have become a member favorite activity. A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries, and discussion will follow the slideshow.

The annual Cookeville Camera Club photography exhibition returns to Cookeville Art Studio in April. The exhibition begins on Tuesday, April 6 and runs through Thursday, April 29. 

The studio is located at 186A South Walnut Street in Cookeville and the hours are 12 to 4 pm, Monday through Saturday.  Please stop by anytime in April, but we would really enjoy seeing you at our opening reception on  Sunday, April 11th from 1-4 pm. 

Annual photo shoot held at Johnson’s Nursery at 1717 E. Spring Street, Cookeville. We prefer to shoot before they open, so please be there at 7:00 am and prepare to shoot until 9:00am. Please park on the side of building.

A tripod is recommended and black or white poster board to use behind plants or flowers. Be as creative and take as many photos as you wish.

The club is having our third print competition on March 9^th at 7PM.  The competition is divided into four categories. The first three categories are allotted based on the experience level of the members. The fourth category (Salon Prints) allows the members maximum flexibility in producing their images. Contest is for members only. The club will be viewing the prints, see the awarding of ribbons and hear judge comments on the winning images.  There will be a short program on the LightRoom Development module while the judges evaluate the images.

Please sign up on the Events page if you plan to enter the print contest. Members were sent an email with contest details. Please bring prints to the meeting. We will use outside judges as we have on past print contests.

The members will be provided a few raw images that have not been processed. The members can process these images using their post processing software.  The images will then be uploaded so the members can see and discuss how the changes were made. This will be a good learning experience to see how everyone would change the image.

This will be a Zoom meeting.

No meeting at the church but we will still do the contest online.  Our meeting will be done via Zoom.  If you are not a member of the club, email us to get access to Zoom.

The January photo contest is Open subject.  Members can submit 3 images of any subject. .  A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Come at 6:30 for refreshment and meet the club members.  Meeting will start at 7pm.

No meeting at the church but we will still do the exhibition  online.  Our meeting will be done via Zoom.  If you are not a member of the club, email us to get access to Zoom.

Members will submit their favorite images to share with the club.  This is our members’ chance to show off what they’ve been working on lately!  The exhibitions have become a member favorite activity.  A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries, and discussion will follow the slideshow.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Come at 6:30 for refreshment and meet the club members.  Meeting will start at 7pm.

Members will share their images with the audience in the form of a “slideshow” that can be up to five minutes long.

One of our favorite meetings!

Members will introduce their essays, and discussion of the images will follow.  This is a wonderful opportunity to share and learn from other photographers!

Please upload videos by Nov 4th.

Members will share their images with the audience in the form of a “slideshow” that can be up to five minutes long.

One of our favorite meetings!

Members will introduce their essays, and discussion of the images will follow.  This is a wonderful opportunity to share and learn from other photographers!

Please upload videos by Nov 4th.

October 12th Zoom Meeting – Producing video from images using Microsoft Movie Maker.  

Microsoft Movie Maker an easy program for producing a video from still images. This presentation will provide the information to allow members who use Windows to develop a video from still images.  Hopefully this will allow some additional member to produce videos  for the November meeting

Leann will provide the Zoom meeting sign-in information in an email before this meeting

The program will include:

How to download and install Microsoft Movie Maker. (Note: this software is was not included in Windows 10)

A Youtube video instructional video on how to make a video from still images.

Question and answer period about the software lead by Tom Morack. Comments by all club members with experience with this software are welcome.

Minimalism
A style or technique that is characterized by extreme sparseness and simplicity. Example – A wide angle shot of barn in a field with no other distracting elements.

Site for the meeting and topic for presentation will follow in an email to members.

The church is still closed.  Meeting will be at another location to be determined.

“Abstract”   –

We WON’T be having the meeting at the church.  The meeting will be held at a members house.  Watch your emails for direction.

“Abstract”   –

Abstract Photography Ideas and Examples

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top People’s Choice images, as voted on by club members, will be revealed. We will also show images from Johnson’s nursery.

No meeting at the church but we will still do the contest online. 

Members will submit their favorite images to share with the club.  This is our members’ chance to show off what they’ve been working on lately!  The exhibitions have become a member favorite activity.  A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries, and discussion will follow the slideshow.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Come at 6:30 for refreshment and meet the club members.  Meeting will start at 7pm.

No meeting at the church but we will still do the contest online.

High Key images are bright and contain little or no dark tones. Example – A white house in snow.

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top People’s Choice images, as voted on by club members, will be revealed.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Roger Trentham Nature Photography

Spring in the Smokies:

Photographic Locations and Techniques

by Roger Trentham of the Smoky Mountain School of Photography

Few places can rival the diversity of Spring in the Great Smoky Mountains.  The forest begins to awaken from it’s Winter slumber in late March through April and comes to a full blown eruption of wildflowers in mid to late April.  Various trilliums, jack-in-the pulpit, fringed phacilia, wild geranium, dwarf crested iris and many others carpet the forest floor. 

Ferns emerge among the freshly green mosses and mountain streams are in full flow.  Incredible sunrises and sunsets erupt from the highest mountains in the Smokies.   So many subjects, so little time.

For this program, I present Spring in the mountains as someone who knows these mountains like few others.  My family has lived here for generations and I continually scout the best locations to make the best wildflower, sunrise/sunset and mountain stream photography the Smokies have to offer.  Allow me a little time to share the beauty of the Smokies in Spring with you and maybe we’ll both learn a little more about photographing this wonderful wilderness. 

The club is having our second annual print competition on March 9th a 7PM.  The competition is divided into four categories. The first three categories are allotted based on the experience level of the members. The fourth category (Salon Prints) allows the members maximum flexibility in producing their images. The public is welcome to view the prints, see the awarding of ribbons and hear judge comments on the winning images.”  Gary Moore had this winning entry last year.

Continue reading →

The club will conducting a macro photography workshop on Feb 24^th as a follow-up to the macro presentation of Feb 10^th.  The workshop will provide members with the opportunity to gain experience with shooting macro images with a variety of equipment including lens reversal mounts, closeup Lens, extension tubes, and macro lens. The equipment available will mainly support Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras. However, some equipment such as closeup lens and focusing rails can be used with other type cameras. Various macro subjects will be available including matchbox cars, Lego scenes, coins and flowers.

A computer with photoshop installed will be available so that members can try their hand at focus stacking.

Member attending the workshop should bring their camera as well as other equipment that support macro photography such as tripods, remote shutter releases, dedicated flashes and macro lens.  In addition, members should also bring interesting small objects to serve as macro photography subjects.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.

Macro Photography Presentation

The February meeting will be a presentation on macro photography by our club president. The presentation will cover the basic techniques of macro photography and will address both tabletop and nature macro photography.  The optical equipment options available to producing macro images will be discussed, spanning the price range from cheap lens reversal adapters up to dedicated macro lens. In addition, accessories used for macro photograph such as tripods and lighting equipment (constant and flash) will be presented.

This presentation will be followed by a hand-on macro photography workshop on  Feb 24th at the church.

Members will submit their favorite images to share with the club.  This is our members’ chance to show off what they’ve been working on lately!  The exhibitions have become a member favorite activity.  A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries, and discussion will follow the slideshow.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Come at 6:30 for refreshment and meet the club members.  Meeting will start at 7pm.

“Photographer’s Choice”   – Photographer’s can submit any photo of their choice.  No theme this month.  This gives the members a chance  to show off their creativity, unrestricted by rules about themes.  Exercise those imagination muscles!

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top People’s Choice images, as voted on by club members, will be revealed.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

The Cookeville History Museum is hosting it’s fourth-annual Christmas Forest exhibit.  It is an exhibit of Christmas trees decorated by various nonprofit organizations in the Cookeville area.  Cookeville Camera Club will display a tree featuring photos and handmade ornaments.  This is our 3rd year as an exhibitor.  This exhibit is on display through Jan 4.

The exhibit kicks off with an opening reception on Saturday, December 14th from 10am -12 noon, with hot cider and Christmas goodies! Please come and bring your family and friends.

Museum Hours:

Tuesday – Saturday 10-4

Address:

Cookeville History Museum

49 East Broad St. Cookeville

(931) 520-5455

For our December meeting we will be celebrating the year  by sharing a meal and  reviewing the past year.  We will have a slideshow of the winning entries for the year.  Year-end awards will also be given.

Please sign up on our members website if you plan to attend. We need a number attending and the dish you wish to share will everyone.

This is always a fun time.

Members will share their images with the audience in the form of a “slideshow” that can be up to five minutes long.  One of our favorite meetings!

Members will introduce their essays, and discussion of the images will follow.  This is a wonderful opportunity to share and learn from other photographers!

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Club Photo  Scavenger Hunt

The camera club conducted a scavenger hunt in Cookeville on the evening of Monday August 12^th. The members were given 10 subjects to photograph between 6:30 and 8:15PM. It was an enjoyable photographic evening followed by a little desert at Cream City Ice Cream.

During the next two weeks, members processed their images and upload them to the club’s dropbox. Twelve members submitted a total of 106 images to the dropbox.

At the club meeting on Monday Sept 9^th, members reviewed the scavenger hunt images and selected their favorite for each of the 10 subjects. Below are these people’s choice winners for each subject. Leann Walker and Tom Morack were tied for most votes overall for the  10 subjects.

Hope you enjoy the images. Try a photo scavenger hunt yourself.

Images are displayed by subject.  Continue reading →

Members will submit their favorite images to share with the club.  This is our members’ chance to show off what they’ve been working on lately!  The exhibitions have become a member favorite activity.  A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries, and discussion will follow the slideshow.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Come at 6:30 for refreshment and meet the club members.  Meeting will start at 7pm.

Cookeville Camera Club Scavenger Hunt

Date & Time

The August 12th club meeting will be a scavenger hunt. The hunt will start at 6:30PM rather than our normal meeting time (7:00PM), in order to get some images before sunset (7:36PM}.

In case of bad weather, you will receive an email in the early afternoon moving the scavenger hunt to the next Monday (August 19th).

Recommended Equipment

Members should consider bringing a tripod, flash and small flashlight to help with shooting after sunset.

Selection of Items

When a member arrives at the church, will be given a sheet of paper with a list of potential items for the scavenger hunt. Members will mark their sheet as the ten items are drawn from a hat..

Walking Scavenger Hunt

This is a walking scavenger hunt with items to be photographed in the local area including the streets around the courthouse and train depot as well as dogwood park. The scavenger hunt will end at 8:15PM with a gathering at Cream City Ice Cream & Coffee House (across from train depot).

Members can do the scavenger hunt individually or as a small group of members.

Continue reading →

Photo’s must be created by stitching together multiple images to produce a panorama (wide Angle) results.  You can submit 2 images.  This should be fun!  Come at 6:30 and enjoy refreshments and meet the members.    Meeting starts at 7:00pm,

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top People’s Choice images, as voted on by club members, will be revealed.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Members will submit their favorite images to share with the club.  This is our members’ chance to show off what they’ve been working on lately!  The exhibitions have become a member favorite activity.  A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries, and discussion will follow the slideshow.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Come at 6:30 for refreshment and meet the club members.  Meeting will start at 7pm.

There is no meeting in the month of June.  Please join us at our next meeting on July 08 when we will be showing slide shows of our entries and winners in the Panorama contest – 
Photograph created by stitched together multiple images to produce a panorama (wide angle) result.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

The contest for May is a print only contest.  You may enter two entries.  The prints can be back and white or color.  Please see rules as to the size your print can be for your class. You may enter a higher class but you may not go down to a class below yours. For this contest , we will have judges chosen from outside the club.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

The Grand Canyon — A View from the Colorado River

Unless you consider staying at a Holiday Inn rather than a Hyatt “roughing it”, you should consider adding a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon to your travel bucket list. For adventure travelers and photographers, it is an awe-inspiring trip for the senses as you literally journey through 1.8 billion years of the earth’s history, uncovered by relentless erosion.

Continue reading →

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top People’s Choice images, as voted on by club members, will be revealed.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Members will submit their favorite images to share with the club.  This is our members’ chance to show off what they’ve been working on lately!  The exhibitions have become a member favorite activity.  A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries, and discussion will follow the slideshow.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

“Open” contests are a chance for members to show off their creativity, unrestricted by rules about themes.  Exercise those imagination muscles!

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top People’s Choice images, as voted on by club members, will be revealed.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Members will submit two of their favorite images to share with the club.  This is our members’ chance to show off what they’ve been working on lately!  The exhibitions have become a member favorite activity.  A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries, and discussion will follow the slideshow.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Club members holiday banquet.  No general meeting.

The Cookeville History Museum is holding an Opening Reception for their Christmas Forest exhibit on Saturday, December 8th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.  Refreshments  will be served.

The Cookeville History Museum is located at 40 East Broad Street in downtown Cookeville and  their hours are : Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  The “Christmas Forest”  is on display throughout the month of December.  Stop by anytime!

PLEASE NOTE MEETING DATE CHANGE!!

Nature Photography

Please join us for Heide Stover’s presentation on Nature Photography.  This is her favorite photography subject, so Heide spends as much time as possible outside taking pictures, rain or shine, particularly in the early morning hours.

Continue reading →

Members will share their images with the audience in the form of a “slideshow” that can be up to five minutes long.  One of our favorite meetings!

Members will introduce their essays, and discussion of the images will follow.  This is a wonderful opportunity to share and learn from other photographers!

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Members will submit two of their favorite images to share with the club.  This is our members’ chance to show off what they’ve been working on lately!  The exhibitions have become a member favorite activity.  A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries, and discussion will follow the slideshow.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top People’s Choice images, as voted on by club members, will be revealed.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

It’s that time again!  Fall Funfest is just around the corner!  Come on out to Cookeville’s Main Street music festival for live music, arts and crafts vendors, delicious food and fun.

Cookeville Camera Club will be there, ready to make your family pictures in our popular Photo Booth again this year.  Let us make a memento of your fun time for only $5, and we will email the finished products (several poses) to you.  Then pick out some of our note cards to send to your family and friends for special occasions.  We have ALL NEW CARDS THIS YEAR, so you will be able to find the perfect card for any occasion.  Look for our sign!

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

Join us for Michael Ray Nott’s presentation on Street Photography.

Michael Nott began his art career in Austin, Texas as a graphic artist. His work appears in a number of poster retrospectives from that era, including the books, The Art of Rock (1987, Abbeville Press) and Homegrown(2015,Texas Monthly Press).

Continue reading →

Club member volunteers will once again manage the Fair’s Photography contest. Club members will be accepting and checking in entries from the public for the Putnam County Fair’s photography contest on Saturday, August 5 from 8 am to 12 noon. There are 18 classes available for amateur photographers to enter, and 3 classes for professionals.  Club members may only enter the professional classes. The Fair has published rules for photographic entries, and the rules can be found in the Fair Book (hard copy) or online here.   Scroll down, and see page 1 for general rules and page 6 for Lot 7 (Photography) specifics.  Judging will take place this day.

During the remainder of Fair Week, volunteer club members will be on hand in the Photography Contest area under the South Grandstand to answer questions from the public and provide helpful tips on making better images.

See you at the Fair!

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the People’s Choice images as selected by the members.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Join the Cookeville Camera Club as we visit Shawn Mabry’s portrait studio and go behind the scenes of a fashion styled photoshoot.  All the pieces will come together with Shawn discussing lighting, camera settings, posing and more.  Professional hair and makeup artist Jen Webb will cover all the ins and outs of professional makeup and styling how it can save the photographer time in post production.  Learn to make fashion photography fun by preplanning and saving the headaches.

The Cookeville Camera Club usually meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  On June 11, however, we will meet at Shawn Mabry’s photography studio, located at 3345 White Cemetery Rd., Cookeville, TN.  Visitors are always welcome, and please remember to bring a chair!

We will have our club picnic and photo shoot  from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. ON MAY 25, 2018. The club will supply the hot dogs and hamburgers, and we ask all members to bring a dish.  You will need to bring seating!  Bring your cameras and tripods for photo opportunities of all kinds!!

Members, please log in and navigate to “Events” to register.  You will find additional information there.

Following the contest & exhibition slideshows, Cookeville Camera Club member Walt Carlson will present Part 2 of our Focus Stacking Mini-Series.

Focus stacking is the process of taking multiple images, each at a different focus point and using software to merge them into a single image.

Walt will demonstrate how to process multiple images into one completely-in-focus image, using Helicon Soft, and its companion program, Helicon Remote.  He will discuss and demonstrate the use of Helicon with photomicrography and macro photography, as well as landscape photography.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.  Join us for an entertaining and  informative evening, and learn how to make images like this amazing watch.

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the People’s Choice images as selected by the members.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

The annual Cookeville Camera Club photography exhibition at the Cookeville Art Studio (formerly Cumberland Art Society) begins on Friday, April 6 and runs through Saturday, April 28.  The studio is located at 186A South Walnut Street in Cookeville and the hours are 12 to 4 pm, Monday through Saturday.  Please stop by anytime in April, but we would really enjoy seeing you at our reception on  Thursday, April 12th from 4-8 pm.  There will be refreshments and many of the photographers will be there to greet you.

Come vote for your favorite images!

Members will submit their black and white images for evaluation by  a special guest judge.  After a slideshow set to music of the contest entries, the first, second and third place winners in each division, as well as the three top People’s Choice images, will be revealed.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Following the contest & exhibition slideshows, Cookeville Camera Club members Roland Pearson and Walt Carlson will give a presentation on Focus Stacking.

Focus stacking is the process of taking multiple images, each a different focus point and using software to merge them into a single image. The presentation discusses the advantages of focus stacking in macro photography to obtain improved depth of field, sharper image and better bokeh control (out of focus areas). It covers: 1) the theory of focus stacking, 2) equipment needed, 3) methods of taking the image set and 4) steps in Adobe Photoshop to in process the image.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.  Join us for an entertaining and  informative evening, and learn how to make images like this beautiful Hibiscus.

Landscape Photography

David Johnston is a renowned landscape, adventure, and humanitarian photographer and educator from the beautiful state of Tennessee.  Photographing incredible light and rarely seen moments are what drives David to keep capturing nature at its best.

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Join us for an evening with Steve Zigler, and hear his presentation on

Ansel Adams and Black & White

As a Ph.D. chemist, Steve thrives on the combination of art and science that creates a photographic image.  He travels extensively, focusing on the amazing Tennessee landscapes, the western U.S., and some remote locations around the world.  He still has his first camera given to him by his uncle when he was a kid.  It changed him forever.

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A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top People’s Choice images, as voted on by club members, will be revealed.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Members will submit two of their favorite images to share with the club.  This is our members’ chance to show off what they’ve been working on lately!  The exhibitions have become a member favorite activity.  A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries, and discussion will follow the slideshow.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Tips for Shooting the Stars, Moon and Northern Lights

Join us for this informational and instructional presentation as two of our members, both Master Photographers, share some of their experience and skill with the club.  Wanda will cover shooting the Milky Way and star trails, and Gary will speak on shooting the moon and the Northern Lights.

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Club members holiday banquet.  No general meeting.

Christmas Forest Exhibit Opens Dec. 9

 The Cookeville Camera Club will be one of fourteen local non-profit and civic organizations participating in the Christmas Forest Exhibit at the Cookeville History Museum.

Please join us at the open house from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on December 9, and enjoy holiday homemade goodies.  Come browse through the forest and see many unique ornaments!

The exhibit runs through January 2,

open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at 40 E. Broad Street (it will be closed December 23)

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Members will submit two of their favorite images to share with the club.  This is our members’ chance to show off what they’ve been working on lately!  The exhibitions have become a member favorite activity.  A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries, and discussion will follow the slideshow.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

The Camera Club Council of Tennessee (3CT) is holding its Fall photo event in Cookeville this year.  Camera Club members throughout Tennessee will be congregating in Cookeville for a weekend of photography and  educational & social get-togethers.

11-Page Color Event Schedule

Members:  Login to the members site for a registration link on the home page.

Members will share their images with the audience in the form of a “slideshow” that can be up to five minutes long.  One of our favorite meetings!

Members will introduce their essays, and discussion of the images will follow.  This is a wonderful opportunity to share and learn from other photographers!

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Members will submit two of their favorite images to share with the club.  This is our members’ chance to show off what they’ve been working on lately!  The exhibitions have become a member favorite activity.  A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries, and discussion will follow the slideshow.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

The Cookeville Fall Funfest is a two-day event that melds a national barbecue competition with a downtown street festival.  There will be music stages, excellent kid and family activities, great food, and an admirable crafts area.

Club members will be running our popular Photo Booth again this year.  Let us make a memento of your fun time for only $5, and we will email the finished products (several poses) to you.  Then pick out some of our note cards to send to your family and friends for special occasions.  We have many different types of images available, from A-Animals to W-Waterfalls, so you will be able to find the perfect card for any occasion.  Look for our sign!

Join us as we transition from summer to fall:  we will recap the news from the Putnam County Fair photography contest, then prepare for  Fall Fun Fest, the 3CT Fall Event, and more!

We will also hone our critiquing skills on a willing volunteer . . .  find out more at the meeting!

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Club member volunteers will once again manage the Fair’s Photography contest. Club members will be accepting and checking in entries from the public for the Putnam County Fair’s photography contest on Saturday, August 5 from 8 am to 12 noon. There are 18 classes available for amateur photographers to enter, and 3 classes for professionals.  Club members may only enter the professional classes. The Fair has published rules for photographic entries, and the rules can be found in the Fair Book (hard copy) or online here.  Scroll down, and see page 1 for general rules and page 7 for Department 6 (Photography) specifics.  Judging will take place this day.

During the remainder of Fair Week, volunteer club members will be on hand in the Photography Contest area under the South Grandstand to answer questions from the public and provide helpful tips on making better images.

See you at the Fair!

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Members will submit two of their favorite images to share with the club.  This is our members’ chance to show off what they’ve been working on lately!  The exhibitions have become a member favorite activity.  A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries, and discussion will follow the slideshow.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

We will have our club picnic and photo shoot  from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. ON JUNE 3, 2017. The club will supply the hot dogs and hamburgers, and we ask all members to bring a dish.  You will need to bring seating!  Bring your cameras and tripods for photo opportunities of all kinds!!

Members: Go to “Events” on our web page and sign up.  There is additional information there about the picnic.

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

A Cookeville Camera Club ” MEMBER’S  ONLY ” field trip.  This annual event is a club favorite!  Members are invited to be at the garden center at 7:30 AM before it opens to the public to shoot the bewildering display of gorgeous spring flowers. This annual event is a lot of fun, and makes for good practice in a controlled environment.

At  11:00 AM for those who wish,  we will meet for a Dutch Treat Lunch !! Members please register at the Members Only section on the website at www.CookevilleCameraClub.com.

International Dark Sky Week begins April 22, 2017.  Join us at Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area on that date for a star party! Astronomers will have telescopes set up in the astronomy field for people to view various celestial objects.  Bring sturdy shoes and a red flashlight.

Why Dark Sky?

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Please join us at Dogwood Park for Storyfest on April 22, 2017.  Storyfest is an annual event sponsored by the Cookeville History Museum featuring many talented storytellers performing throughout the day. A large tent with plenty of seating is available for you to come by and listen to their tales.  Cookeville Camera Club will be part of the Artist Alley from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, newly added this year along with food trucks.  We will have note cards for you to send to your family and friends for special occasions. We have many  different types of images available, so you will be able to find the perfect card for any occasion. Our images range from local landmarks to flowers, landscapes, travel photos, humming birds, other animals and many more.  Look for our sign! Please invite your family and friends to stop by any time throughout the day.

*In case of a rain out, the event will be moved to the  the Christian Life Center at the First United Methodist Church. We will ONLY use this plan in case of a TOTAL rain out.

Members will share their images with the audience in the form of a “slideshow” that can be up to five minutes long.  One of our favorite meetings!

Members will introduce their essays, and discussion of the images will follow.  This is a wonderful opportunity to share and learn from other photographers!

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Rock Island State Park is an 883 acre park located on the headwaters of Center Hill Lake at the confluence of the Caney Fork, Collins and Rocky Rivers. The rugged beauty of the park includes the Caney Fork Gorge below Great Falls Dam. These overlooks are some of the most scenic and significant along the Eastern Highland Rim. Great Falls is a 30 foot horseshoe cascading waterfall, located below the 19th century cotton textile mill that it powered over 100 years ago. Rock Island became a Tennessee State Park in 1969.

The Caney Fork River Gorge contains scenic overlooks, waterfalls, deep pools and limestone paths perfect for hiking, swimming, fishing, kayaking and exploring. The park’s whitewater sections attract professional freestyle kayakers from around the world. It also features a natural sand beach and boating access on Center Hill Lake.

from  http://tnstateparks.com/parks/about/rock-island

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A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

The club’s first scheduled photo field trip is to Virgin Falls, the best local waterfall that you may not have visited.  Why?  Virgin Falls is a 4+ mile hike downhill to get there, and of course, there’s the climb back out.

Virgin Falls is interesting as the water that feeds the falls flows out of a cave, and after the fall, it immediately flows into another cave.  Although quite impressive itself, there are many other photogenic spots along the trail.

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Several CCC members will give presentations on various photography topics in a round-robin format.  Members, divided into several groups, will attend each presentation for 20 minutes, with time for Q&A.  Presenters will include:

Steven Kuss on Video/Video Editing

Bill Miller on “The Wonderful World of Wide Angles — In Focus from Here to There”

Helga Skinner on the Lens Baby

Stanton Tubb on Long Exposures

Our presentations will include instruction, the price of various equipment, and examples of images the presenters have made using the equipment. We will allow plenty of time for questions and answers.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Members spent December shooting images according to the theme of the day.  Members will submit ONE image from each day, a grand total of 31, and  we will present a slide show to show off club members’ special “31 days of fun” images (more to come on how to upload your images closer to the due date).

Join us to view this slideshow of fantastic images!  The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Something new, something fun, something exciting!! We all say we need more practice with our cameras so here is your motivation to get shooting.  Read on for details . . . .

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Club members holiday banquet.  No general meeting.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday recovery time!

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

Annual elections:  Members will vote on a slate of candidates for board member and officer positions.  Your vote is important!

Workshop/program:  Popular local photographer Shawn Mabry will lead a  workshop on portraiture.

“Introduction to Studio Lighting” will be a hands-on learning experience, so bring your camera and tripod.  Shawn will instruct us on some basic lighting techniques, and then let us try our hands photographing a live model.

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

Members will share their images with the audience in the form of a “slideshow” that can be up to five minutes long.  One of our favorite meetings!

Members will introduce their essays, and discussion of the images will follow.  This is a wonderful opportunity to share and learn from other photographers!

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville.  Visitors are always welcome.

There will be no meeting on September 26, 2016.  Use your evening off to go out and shoot something!  See you at the next meeting.

Join us! On Saturday, September 17 —
A fun event for those who want to get out and shoot!
A car pool group will meet at the First Presbyterian Church at 11 am
Or meet us at the show at 11:30
See you there!  Read on for details . . . .

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A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

We will also have a slide show with our “Then and Now ” images. Many of the club’s photographers went to work in conjunction with the Cookeville History Museum to reshoot photos from Cookeville of yesteryear. These images are displayed in the Cookeville History Museum’s current exhibit, ” Cookeville Then and Now.” In our slideshow, you will see Cookeville landmarks as they appeared decades ago and as they appear today

The Cookeville Fall FunFest is a two-day event that melds a national barbeque competition with a downtown street festival,They have music stages, excellent kid and family activities, great food,and an admirable crafts area.

The craft area is limited to one street and we will be at the end of it. We will be running a photo booth where we will be happy to make your family, group or individual photos for only $5! we will email you the finished product.Then pick out some of our note cards to send to your family and friends for special occasions. We have many  different types of images available,so you will be able to find the perfect card for any occasion.Our images range from local landmarks to flowers,landscapes,travel photos,humming birds, other animals and many more. Look for our sign!

“An Evening with CLICK and CROP… Ron McConathy and Larry Perry

(Photos–the Antlers in Jar is mine and the Whirl is Ron’s!)

With these two very popular photographers/teachers you can never tell what  might happen or be discussed. Ron is a pro with portraits, travel landscapes and people and is known as the “CLICK” of the team. Larry is a pro with wildlife, abstracts, Photoshop and who knows what else and is known as the “CROP” of the team.!!! Between the two, who are sometimes opposite in their approach and often controversial, anything can happen.

This is one meeting you won’t want to miss. It features Ron McConathy and Larry Perry as “Click” and “Crop”. In their program they will answer many questions and show examples of good and questionable shots. In addition you
will see some of their outstanding and award winning work. You never know what to expect from these two as their programs are educational, entertaining, interesting, and very often controversial. Put this date on your calendars NOW

Experiencing these two in action is the way to end the summer and be inspired to begin the fall shooting season.This program will be one of the most talked about programs of the year. Be prepared for anything at this” MUST ATTEND” Meeting.

See the changes from early Cookeville images to today’s as members of the Cookeville Camera Club reshoot the locations of yesteryear’s photos.  Some buildings are changed, others replaced with newer structures . . . and it’s all documented this year as photographers give their view of how an why they shot the way they did.  Admission to the museum is free.

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries.Everyone displays their favorite two pieces, no restrictions .This  presents to all viewers the variety of talent, ideas, creativity and passion among us. We follow this with discussions on, how they composed their pictures,  what they decided to focus on, as well as telling us the story in the image. This can sometimes be very exciting and the slideshows are beautiful !

The Cookeville Camera Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church in Cookeville the second Monday evening. See our schedule on the website: cookevillecameraclub.com. Visitors are always welcome

Chasing the Light: The Art and Adventure of Wilderness Photography

Dusty brings a unique perspective to the world of wilderness photography that comes from his background in outdoor adventure, sports, and travel. He continues to be inspired by the work of many photographers past and present including David Muench, Galen Rowell, Art Wolfe and artists working in different media. The landscape itself, especially wild areas are what inspire him most and photography provides a way to share some of that experience with others. His artistic vision involves photographing areas that are wild and beautiful while expressing the surreal nature of the landscape with a sense of mystery and adventure.

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A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

My color images are deeply personal storyboards, my connection to 21^st century re-modernist culture. I can’t remember a time when I was not drawing and painting. I was born in Staten Island, New York City, and went to grammar school in Bayside, Queens. My first toys were crayons, fat pencils, watercolors, tempera paints, and special papers. When I was 10, my grandmother gave me a camera. While I continue to draw and paint, I never stopped making photographs.

I earned a BFA degree from Newark College of the arts where I majored in studio art. For a long time I made photographs, almost all black and white. But I would also draw in charcoal out of some frustration that I couldn’t do with film what Picasso had done in Guernica. With color photography, I experienced a similar frustration relative to the abstract expressionists. Still, I loved the processes of photography as much or more than painting, and perhaps a little inspired by David Hockney, I refused to give them up. Continue reading →

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Due to the holiday there will be no meeting on May 23, 2016.Enjoy your family and friends and stay safe. We will see everyone again in June.  Helga

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

After having just completed the Johnson’s Nursery Photo shoot it will be very interesting to see all the angles,  lenses, and settings used for these beautiful flowers.

As Kathleen Clemons, a known Flower Photographer and teacher once  said

“I wish to make the flowers dance”

Our next CCClub ” MEMBER’S  ONLY ” field trip. Members are invited to be at the garden center at 7:00 AM before it opens to the public to shoot some flowers. This annual event is a lot of fun, and makes for good practice in a controlled environment.

At  11:00 AM for those who wish,  we will meet for a Dutch Treat Lunch !! Members please register at the Members Only section on the website at

www.CookevilleCameraClub.com

♦  Members will share their images with the audience in the form of a “slideshow” that can be up to five minutes long. One of our favorite meetings!

The annual Cookeville Camera Club photography exhibition at the Cumberland Art Society begins later this month!  Please stop by anytime between March 31 and April 22, but we would really enjoy seeing you at our reception on Sunday, April 3rd.  There will be refreshments and many of the photographers will be there to greet you.

Come vote for your favorite images!

All the exhibition details are on poster below.

This meeting consists of a presentation followed by a $20 workshop.

David Johnston loves being a photographer, but he loves teaching others about it just as much.

Johnston realized how much he enjoyed photography in college. When the geography major went hiking for school labs, he remembers “I was always the last to get to the end of the hike because I stopped to take a lot of photos.”

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A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

Four CCC members will give presentations on lenses, macro lenses, drone photography, and compact light diffusion boxes and lights. Members, divided into four groups, will attend each presentation for 15-20 minutes, with time for Q&A. Presenters will be Helga Skinner, Bill Miller, Steven Kuss and Walt Carlson.

• Helga Skinner-  Lens Baby, Macro snap on Lens
• Bill Miller-  Lenses.
• Steve Kuss–  Drone photography.
• Walt Carlson –Compact light diffusion box and lights.

Our presentations will included the price of the equipment and examples of photography they have taken using the equipment. We will allow plenty of time for questions and answers.

Do you want to go beyond taking snapshots?  Check out the new introductory course beginning on Saturday, March 5.  Click on the INFORMATION for course details and to register.

Update: As of Feb 14th, the class is full!  THANKS, we appreciate the level of interest showed by the community.

Speaking of blizzards, the MEETING IS CANCELLED tonight.  The slideshow will be presented at the Feb 22 meting.

The Blizzard of 2016 has come and gone, but it will live on in pictures.  Club members are invited to submit up to five images (perhaps more) from the storm, and they will be presented in a slideshow with music.  Like a contest, the membership will vote on their favorite images, but there will be no judging and scoring.

Seasons & Weather in the Smokies

Jerry Whaley is an East Tennessee writer & photographer whose images are marketed worldwide by Getty Images, Alamy, age.fotostock and several other stock photo agencies. His images have appeared in Sierra Club Calendars, National Geographic Traveler, Blue Ridge Country, Outdoor Photographer, Peterson’s Photographic, Reiman’s Country, Backpacker, Southern Living & many other books, magazines, postcards, calendars, and trade publications.

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A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members .

Helga

Club members holiday banquet.  No general meeting tonight.

Come see us in Booth #1!

For the first time, the Cookeville Camera Club will be participating in Santa’s Workshop held every year at  Hyder-Burks Agricultural Pavilion.

Eight club members will be offering original photographs from a number of locations.  In addition, the popular note cards sold at Fall Fun Fest will also be available.

Affordable, original art is a good gift to yourself or to friends and family.  Some prints will be framed for immediate hanging.

Note cards, actually requiring a stamp and delivered by the US Postal Service may seem old-fashioned in this day of instant texting. Imagine, however, the the joy of a person near to you receiving a personal Christmas greeting, a “thank you”, an invitation, or just a message of love inside of a beautiful photograph.

We look forward to seeing you at the Cookeville Camera Club booth at Santa’s Workshop.  Our elves have been busy!

Bridges/Railroad Trestles: Framed structures made from wood or metal which allow people or vehicles to cross obstacles such as roads, rivers, or valleys.

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

The banner image is a photograph by Bill Miller of the bridge crossing the Rio Grande river and gorge, just north and west of Taos, NM.

♦  Members will share their images with the audience in the form of a “slideshow” that can be up to five minutes long. One of our favorite meetings!

♦  The members will elect the 2016 Board of Directors.

Commercial Photographer Enjoys Variety of Work

You go to the store and notice the candles in the home furnishings department. After looking a bit, you choose the one you just know will make your home smell warm and inviting. You know because you look at the label and see the picture of the vanilla beans.

Most of us never think about who took the photo that made you choose that product. Ron Baker does. As a commercial photographer it’s his job to show a product or a business and its personnel in the best light.

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There will not be a meeting Monday night because the Church is finishing a childrens play ground project and they will be needing the dinning area for workers.

Our members will be off shooting night pictures!

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members

Our banner image for today, “Nashville at Night”,  is a photographtaken by one of our members, Walt Carlson.    It was the “People’s Choice” First Place as voted by our members in the last contest!!!

Expressing Your Photographic Creativity Without Software”.  “In this day and age of ‘Photoshop’ enhanced images, wouldn’t it be nice to say, ‘No, I captured this image with my camera!’   Come and learn ways to use the creativity built into your own camera and also how to use filters, shutter speeds, external lighting, zoom lenses and multiple exposures to create fine art with your camera before it is ever imported into image management software!”

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Photomicrography

It’s a small world after all. No one knows that better than Walt Carlson.

Carlson, a Cookeville resident and member of the Cookeville Camera Club, has found a way to help people understand what’s beneath their feet and in the tiniest of everyday things.

Growing up in Indiana, Carlson spent much of his life in the home furnishings business learning all aspects from manufacturing and marketing to sales and advertising. When he retired he and his wife Becky chose Cookeville as their new home due to the beauty and affordability of the area. The diversity of activities in the Cookeville area was an added bonus.

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Title banner photograph by Ty Kernea.  ©2013 Herald-Citizen; all rights reserved.

All Putnam County residents are invited . . . no, encouraged to enter photographs in the annual fair contest.  Although there are two photo categories for professional photographers and three categories for Cookeville Camera Club members, seventeen categories are reserved for amateur photographers.

The Cookeville Camera Club has engaged local professional photographers to judge entries and award 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ribbons and prize money for each category.  A best-of-show for all amateur categories will also be awarded.

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Ty Kernea’s Pictures Speak Volumes

As a photojournalist for the Herald-Citizen newspaper, Kernea has covered countless stories with just his camera for years.  If it happened in Cookeville, chances are good Kernea photographed it.

Photography wasn’t always what Kernea imagined for a career, but the Jackson County High School/MTSU alumnus had what he calls “the moment” that helped him decide.

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Our first meeting in July will be a photo contest, open to any subject.

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

ONE LIGHT ONLY

Genna Sellers is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) who has been honored with numerous awards including TN Professional Photographer of the Year, Top 10 Photographer of the Year, and many best of show and judges choice awards. Her images have been included in the International Photographic Competition’s (IPC) prestigious Loan Collection multiple times. In addition she is a board member of TNPPA and a PPA judge. She has a great deal of empathy for her portrait subjects and collaborates with them to create portraits that will be cherished by family and friends for generations to come.

gennasellersphotography.com  is her web site, feel free to look at all her beautiful photography. The  presentation will be  “ONE LIGHT ONLY”

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We will have our club picnic and photo shoot at Gary Moore’s home from 6:00 PM to 9 :00 PM. The club will supply the hot dogs and hamburgers, and we ask all members to bring a dish. The plans are to grill/smoke the meat ! We will use hay for seating ! Bring your camera for photo opportunities of all kinds!! Go to “Events” on our web page and sign up. We will have directions to Gary Moore’s home there, too.

ww.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial–day-history

Memorial Day, an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May, honors men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971.

The May photo contest is all about images with “eyes”.  Living human/animal eyes must be the subject or prominent element of the image.

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

Leading Lines, Real and Suggestive

Robert Melgar has a wandering spirit.  With the turns his life has taken, it’s easy to see why.
Growing up in New York’s Upper East Side, Melgar made a drastic move to Miami at age 15.  From there he joined the US Air Force where he served with Special Forces in Saigon.  He settled down for almost 33 years when he returned to Miami and joined the police force.  After retiring he made another drastic move, trading his

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Fun evening of member “slideshows”.  Each participant can choose any number of images to share with the audience . . . as long as they can be presented in five minutes or less!  Many shows have a theme and are sophisticated productions set to music with image transitions.

This is a great opportunity to see the photographic talents of our members.

Photographer Sees Beauty in Reptiles

If it crawls, swims, or does a little of both, chances are Lisa Powers can tell you about it.

“Anything most people run from, I’m all for it!” she says enthusiastically.

Powers’ love of nature and animals came at an early age. From keeping fish and lizards as a child to working in pet stores, her interest in all things reptilian grew into a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Tennessee Tech. When she realized she was “better at it than the guys,” she got her master’s degree in Field Biology/Herpetology from Austin Peay. From there, she has successfully lobbied for legislation to elect the Tennessee cave salamander as the state amphibian and the Eastern box turtle as the state reptile.

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Twenty-six members participated in the Black & White print contest on March 9.  The judges, Ben Corda and Cody Bryant, staff photographers at TTU, awarded 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in each of our three division.

See the images and results.

The March photo contest is all about images of churches — any building or buildings used for religious services, inside or out.  A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

Bonus Black & White Contest!

In addition to one of our six photo contests each year, there will also be a Black & White Print contest.  Participating members will bring one mounted and matted print to the meeting.  Two external judges will award 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for each of our three division.  The judges will present the awards and discuss their evaluation.

Jeff Roush has run a successful, high level, commercial photography studio in the United States since the early 1980’s. His company, Roush Studios, has a client list and customer base reads like a “who’s-who” in advertising. It can be viewed on his commercial website. Many large corporations and notable advertising agencies throughout the US have utilized his services over the years. Chances are you have seen his work somewhere but haven’t realized it. His talents took him from his early years in Toledo, Oh. in the 1980’s to Los Angeles, CA. and Phoenix, AZ in the 1990’s, where he spent 10 years in some of the most competitive photography arenas that exist in the world.

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“How To” Pointers for Black & White Photography

Ben Corda is one of two university photographers for Tennessee Tech University. On an average day you might find him roaming campus to find the right candid shot or next Instagram post, in the studio, or tucked away in a dark office editing. He strives to tell the story of the university each day in each shoot.

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Conceptual Photography

Conceptual Photographer Puts You in the Story

Caroline Rutland loves a good story. What she loves even more is putting her clients in the middle of their own stories through conceptual photography.

Rutland’s idea of storytelling through imagery has transformed the idea of portrait photography. Think of that photo of your senior student with his letter jacket and football; now put him in the big game. Does your little girl love ballet? She can be the ballerina turning in the music box. You and your spouse can be a medieval king and queen slaying dragons. “If you can dream it, I can do it,” she says confidently.

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Our first meeting of the year will be a photo contest, open to any subject, but pictures should have been taken within the last year.

A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

Club members holiday banquet.  No general meeting tonight.

The November photo contest is all about images with leading lines —lines that attract the viewer’s eyes and lead them directly to the principle subject in the image; or lines that are a major element of the image.  A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

Photo Critique Night!

Following the contest, the members will practice photo critiques in small groups.

♦  Members will share their images with the audience in the form of a “slideshow” that can be up to five minutes long. One of our favorite meetings!

♦  The members will elect the 2015 Board of Directors.

Photographer Captures American West

To Robert Melgar, west is more than just a direction.

A former Air Force Special Forces member and police officer, Melgar traded in his gun for a camera a few years ago. A self proclaimed “landscape buff,” Melgar enjoys photographing the mountains and trees of Tennessee but has always been drawn to the sweeping vistas of the American West.

Melgar is such a fan of the West he’s even purchased property there. He has taken numerous trips just to photograph the beauty he sees.

“I love the landscape, the open grandeur,” says Melgar. His photographs vividly reflect his passion for the area. Stunning photos of well traveled and little known areas are the result of his trips. Melgar traveled with photography guides and found some hidden treasures he enjoys returning to.

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1. Slideshow

Selected participant images from three “Introduction to dSLR Photography” class this year.   For many, from zero to pretty darn good in 2-7 weeks.

2. Tech Topic

An educational topic or two will be presented.

3. Checking the Compass.

We have come a long way this year.  Have we arrived at a good place?   Where should next year’s road take us?  We will review what the club has done this year, and begin a discussion of what we want to do to more of . . . less of . . . or differently next year.  Results of a new member survey (coming soon to members-only website home page) will guide our discussion.

The September photo contest is all about images that include the atmospheric element of fog or mist, creating a sense of mystery.  A slideshow set to music will display the member-submitted entries. Following the show, the three top images in each category (Novice, Regular, and Master) will be revealed, along with the most favorite images as selected by the members.

Photo Critique Night is back!

Following the contest, the members will practice photo critiques in small groups.

Stop by at the Cookeville Camera Club booth at the Fall Funfest on September 5 and 6.  Learn about the club and pickup some gifts . . .  for yourself, friends, and family.  We will have photo note cards with envelopes that are perfect for sending special messages for any occasion.  You will also enjoy seeing larger prints showing spectacular scenery, local spots, and other subjects.  These, too, will be available for sale and are suitable for framing, or some may be ready to hang.

The Fall Funfest is one of our main opportunities to greet the public as a club and help raise funds for bringing professional photographers to town to present at our meetings, open to everyone.

Dianne Blankenbaker really looks up to her photography subjects.  That’s because they’re sometimes soaring above her head.

Blankenbaker has been involved in raptography (the combination of birding and photography) for a few years now, and the work continues to fascinate her.  That’s significant because some of her other hobbies haven’t lasted.

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CAMERA CLUB MEETING

Jason Tucker loves it when his business goes under.  Under water, that is.

“I can’t stand to be in the water without my camera,” says Jason.  “As sure as I don’t have it, something amazing will happen.”  Since a big part of his photography business is underwater work, that’s a good thing.

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PHOTO EVENT
Title banner photograph by Ty Kernea.  ©2013 Herald-Citizen; all rights reserved.

Following are the two best of show photographs from this year’s competition.  Head to the Fair to see all the photographs entered and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place photos in each category.

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CAMERA CLUB MEETING

Couple Finds Common Ground in Photography

Tom and Pat Cory, as most couples, are alike in many ways.  Their differences, however, make them one of the most successful duos in professional photography.

Pat Cory admits she and Tom grew up differently. “I was from a farm and he grew up in a city,”  she explains.  The two love going to state parks and natural areas and found common ground there.  

When Tom was 11 years old he got his first camera.  He was photography editor of the yearbook at his college, William and Mary.  With a laugh, Pat says, “I had a Brownie camera and when I met Tom I’d probably taken 20 pictures in my whole life.”  She says it was partly Tom’s infectious love of photography and partly necessity that got her started in the art.  “I realized early on it was either carry his tripod or learn to take pictures,”  she jokes.  

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1.  A slideshow of all the “Open Theme” contest entries will be shown.  Following the slideshow, all the the “placing” images will be revealed  (1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in each competition division, Novice, Regular, and Mast; 1st, 2nd, 3rd places according to the members’ chosen favorites).

2.  “Iceland in February” presented by Wanda Krack and Gary Moore

Iceland is a land of beauty in February.   While rain falls in along the coast, fresh snow covers the mountains and gl
aciers, creating the look of a winter wonderland.  Wild horses roam parts of the countryside.  These horses are a little larger than our ponies, have longer hair, and are relatively tame.  They also have pretty, long eyelashes and what looks like smiles on their faces.  There is a black sand beach where the ocean retrieves icebergs that have taken many, many years to pass through the cycle of snow, ice and back to the ocean.  Iceland has a few caves discovered beneath the glaciers that are large enough to walk comfortably within and explore.  Also, the Icelandic people are friendly, and their language sounds a bit musical to me.

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SPECIAL MEETING — 7:00 pm

“Two Years in the Wild!” by Christian Sperka, Wildlife Photographer and South African Field Guide

Few have answered the call of the wild as passionately as Christian Sperka.  Sperka will be bringing his brilliant photographs and amazing stories to the Cookeville Camera Club in a special lecture, “Two Years in the Wild”.  His presentation will include many images as well as explanations of challenges of living on the reserve and tips on photographing wildlife.  The public is invited to attend this rare opportunity and enjoy this evening as he brings South Africa home.

A former photographer for the Nashville Zoo, Sperka left that post to follow his heart to South Africa. He now calls Thanda Private Game Reserve home, and his neighbors can get pretty wild.   Continue reading →

Our annual picnic is on the evening of June 14^th (regular club meeting night) starting at 6PM. Gary is hosting the picnic at his home. Please sign up for the picnic on our website, so we have an estimate of number of members and guests who will attending. Members are requested to bring their own main course, side dish or dessert to share with others.

Bring your camera. This year we are doing a scavenger hunt as part of the picnic.

In accordance with current Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, only attendees that have been not fully vaccinated are requested to wear a mask.

Our annual picnic is on the evening of June 14^th (regular club meeting night) starting at 6PM. Gary is hosting the picnic at his home. Please sign up for the picnic on our website, so we have an estimate of number of members and guests who will attending. Members are requested to bring their own main course, side dish or dessert to share with others.

Bring your camera. This year we are doing a scavenger hunt as part of the picnic.

In accordance with current Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, only attendees that have been not fully vaccinated are requested to wear a mask.

Our annual picnic is on the evening of June 14^th (regular club meeting night) starting at 6PM. Gary is hosting the picnic at his home. Please sign up for the picnic on our website, so we have an estimate of number of members and guests who will attending. Members are requested to bring their own main course, side dish or dessert to share with others.

Bring your camera. This year we are doing a scavenger hunt as part of the picnic.

In accordance with current Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, only attendees that have been not fully vaccinated are requested to wear a mask.

Our annual picnic is on the evening of June 14^th (regular club meeting night) starting at 6PM. Gary is hosting the picnic at his home. Please sign up for the picnic on our website, so we have an estimate of number of members and guests who will attending. Members are requested to bring their own main course, side dish or dessert to share with others.

Bring your camera. This year we are doing a scavenger hunt as part of the picnic.

In accordance with current Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, only attendees that have been not fully vaccinated are requested to wear a mask.