Pagosa Springs Photography Club

Bosque del Apache for Photographers, Nov 12

The November meeting of the Pagosa Springs Photography Club will be held on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. The Club meets in the Community United Methodist Church at 434 Lewis Street in Pagosa Springs. The program will start at 6:30 p.m., but feel free to arrive anytime after 6 p.m. to socialize. Photography Club meetings are open to the public. Please use the side door near the parking lot to enter.

Our speaker this month will be Club member Doug Coombs. Doug will present a program on Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Bosque del Apache and nearby Ladd S Gordon wildlife areas in New Mexico are renowned for their opportunities to see and photograph many species of birds and other wildlife, but Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese in particular. These over-wintering species can put on a remarkable show when they lift off from the ponds at the Refuges around sunrise. Doug has traveled to these areas for quite a few years to photograph these amazing sights, and will share his knowledge of when to visit, where to photograph, and other tips; along with many of his outstanding photos from these Refuges.

Following Doug’s presentation, we will hold our monthly Image Share session. Club members may bring up to 5 recent images to show and discuss with the group for this. Keep in mind that with the 4K monitor now available at the Church, it is recommended that your images be at least 3840×2160 pixels. Otherwise they may not fill the screen.

Virtual Shutter Therapy

This month’s theme for Virtual Shutter Therapy is Long Exposure and Motion Blur. Capture the passage of time in a single frame — flowing water turned silky, car lights streaking through the night, clouds drifting like dreams. Use a tripod, slow your shutter, and let movement paint the story your eyes can’t normally see. Please share up to three images by commenting on the Nov. 2 post about this subject on our Club Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PagosaPhotoClub. Like and comment on the works of others. (Thanks to Barbara Jetley for these VST topics!)

Audubon Rockies After Dark: Beyond Turkey , November 20

Join Audubon Rockies After Dark: Bird Story Hour – Beyond Turkey on November 20! This is a virtual event held on Zoom from 7 – 8 pm, MST. Conservation photographer Dave Showalter and Audubon Rockies Executive Director Alison Holloran will team up with the After Dark crew to share stories about grouse, ptarmigans, and other fascinating land fowl of the Rockies. Showalter is an outstanding photographer, as exemplified in his conservation book Sage Spirit, with his photos of landscapes, Sage Grouse, Antelope, and other creatures of the “sagebrush sea”. To sign up for this Zoom event, see:

https://www.mobilize.us/audubon-rockies/event/854901/

(Thanks to Keith Bruno for this item)

Of interest: Pro Photographer’s Showdown, at Fort Lewis College in Durango, November 19.

Five award-winning professional photographers will project their best work on the giant screen of the Fort Lewis College Community Concert Hall. Each show is curated to music, presenting a lifetime work in five 10-minute shows with party breaks in between. This event is from 7 – 9 pm. Tickets are $25-35.

See https://photoshowdown.org for details about the photographers, and for tickets. Sounds like a fun evening.

Digital Photo Contest Winners, Part 2

The Pagosa Springs Photography Club held an Awards Celebration on October 8, to announce the winners of its Eighth Annual Digital Photography Contest. Images were entered in four categories: Creative, Landscape, Nature and People. Part 1 of this series presented the winners of the Creative and Landscape categories. Images in each category were judged on the basis of composition, impact, and technical quality. Judges selected the top 3 images in each category; and Honorable Mention (HM) was awarded to those images within one point (out of ten possible) of the top 3. In addition, Club members voted to determine “People’s Choice” winners for each of the categories. In this post are the results for the Landscape and People categories. These were judged by Pagosa Springs photographer Mark Langford (https://marklangfordphotography.com).

Among the entries in the Landscape category, Chris Roebuck won first prize for Dark Lands. In second was Chimney Rock Solstice, by Herb Grover. Third place was awarded to Gateway of the Arctic, by Dave Anderson. This is always highly competitive category, and honorable mentions were awarded to Andy Butler, for Canyonlands Sunrise, Doug Coombs for Three Sisters Milky Way, Sharon Duquemin for Train, John Farley for Village Lake Aurora, and Barbara Jetley for Ripple.

People’s Choice voting in the Landscape category awarded 1st place to Chimney Rock Solstice, by Herb Grover. Canyonlands Sunrise, by Andy Butler, received 2nd place. Doug Coombs received 3rd place for Three Sisters Milky Way.

The fourth category in the contest was People. For this group, 1st place went to Climb High, by Andy Butler. Second was awarded to Greg Heid for I Hope I Make It. In 3rd place was Belay On, by Chris Roebuck. Receiving Honorable Mention in this group were Wizened, by Kathie Disner, and Victory, from Scott Galabota.

People’s Choice voting for this group awarded 1st place to Wizened, by Kathie Disner. In 2nd place was Andy Butler’s Climb High, and 3rd went to Chris Roebuck for On Belay .

Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to all the photographers in the Club who submitted photos for the contest this year. And many thanks to our judges, to the Club members who helped organize the contest and Awards Celebration (Scott Galabota, Susanne Russell, Doug Coombs, and Russ Durrer), and to those who voted for People’s Choice awards.

Winners of Eighth Digital Photography Contest

The Pagosa Springs Photography Club held an Awards Celebration on October 8, to announce the winners of its Eighth Annual Digital Photography Contest. Members attending the Celebration viewed all the images entered in the contest by 14 photographers who took part. Club members and spouses socialized, enjoyed a pizza dinner, discussed the photos entered in the contest, and photography in general. This year the contest included four categories: Creative, Landscape, Nature, and people. Images in each category were judged on the basis of composition, impact, and technical quality. Judges selected the top 3 images in each category; and Honorable Mention (HM) was awarded to those images within one point (out of ten possible) of the top 3. In addition, Club members voted to determine “People’s Choice” winners for each of the categories. In this post are the results for the Creative and Nature categories. These were judged by Pagosa Springs photographer Kiersten Renner (https://www.wildcraftedphotography.com). A second post will highlight winners of the Landscape and People categories.

In the Creative category, Doug Coombs won 1st place for his photo Goblin Star Trails. Second prize went to Andy Butler, for Desert Web Abstract. Moab Star Trails, by Coombs, received 3rd place. Three photographers received Honorable Mention in this category. These are Adrienne Disbrow, for Red Eye, Scott Galabota for O’Hare Bathroom Shelf, and Chris Roebuck for Wallpaper.

In the People’s Choice voting for the Creative category, winning images were Contorted Cathedral, 1st place, by Dave Anderson; Goblin Star Trails, 2nd place, by Doug Coombs; and Moab Star Trails, 3rd place, by Doug Coombs.

In judging results for the Nature category, 1st place was awarded to Andy Butler for Sunset Sow & Cub. Second was awarded to Dave Anderson for Perseverance. In 3rd place was River Reflections by Kathie Disner. Images receiving Honorable Mention in the Nature category were Disner’s Mom’s Fish; Curious Otter, by Adrienne Disbrow; The Yawn, by Doug Coombs, and Sugar Bowl, by Andy Butler

People’s Choice winners in the Nature category were Andy Butler’s Sunset Sow & Cub, 1st place; Lion Yawn, by Doug Coombs, 2nd place; and Perseverance, by Dave Anderson, 3rd place.

Congratulations to all the winning photographers! See Part 2 of this series for winners of the Landscape and People categories.

Protecting Dark Skies – September Meeting

The September meeting of the Pagosa Springs Photography Club will be held on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. The Club meets in the Community United Methodist Church at 434 Lewis Street in Pagosa Springs. The program will start at 6:30 p.m., but feel free to arrive anytime after 6 p.m. to socialize. Photography Club meetings are open to the public. Please use the side door near the parking lot to enter.

Our speaker this month will be Dena Laterza, from the Pagosa Sidewalk Astronomers. She will speak on Protecting Pagosa’s Dark Skies. As photographers, many of us prize the dark skies near Pagosa Springs for capturing nightscape images featuring starry skies over our Rocky Mountain landscapes. Dena will discuss why it is important to preserve our night skies, and what is being done to protect dark skies for future generations. Dena will also provide information on how each person in our community can make a difference.

Photography Club presentations are available on Zoom for those who can’t attend a meeting in person. For the Zoom link to this meeting, please contact abutler@mac.com

Following Dena’s presentation, we will hold our monthly Image Share session. Club members may bring up to 5 recent images to show and discuss with the group for this.

Seeing in Black & White

The August meeting of the Pagosa Springs Photography Club will be held on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. We will meet at the Community United Methodist Church at 434 Lewis Street in Pagosa Springs. While the program will start at 6:30 p.m., feel free to arrive anytime after 6 p.m. to socialize. Please use the side door near the parking lot to enter.

Our topic this month will be How to See in Black & White, which will be presented by Greg Holden , speaking via Zoom. Greg is a Colorado based photographer. He enjoys teaching others and sharing his passion for photography. He speaks around his home in the greater Denver area, but also continues to speak and judge virtually, at clubs throughout his former home in the MD and VA areas as well as in Colorado.

In this presentation, Greg will discuss why black & white images are still highly relevant in a world of ubiquitous color photos. He will explain why black & white images are often the better choice for showcasing certain images. By showing side-by-side color and black & white versions of his images, he will demonstrate how removing color from an image forces the viewer to focus on the shapes, lines, and lighting in the image. Throughout this presentation, Greg will discuss how he has learned to pre-visualize images for later black & white conversion. View Greg’s photos at his website, https://www.imagesunderfoot.com.

Photography Club presentations are available on Zoom for those who can’t attend a meeting. For the Zoom link to this meeting, please contact abutler@mac.com

Club members may bring up to 5 recent images to show and discuss with the group following the presentation, in our monthly Image Share session.

Virtual Shutter Therapy

The Photography Club’s current Virtual Shutter Therapy topic is “Golden Hour, Sunsets and Sunrise”, through September 7. During this time of day, colors are richer and shadows longer—perfect for capturing mood and texture. Explore how this fleeting light transforms ordinary subjects into something extraordinary. Please take part in this challenge by sharing up to three photos on the topic, as comments to the post about this topic on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PagosaPhotoClub . Virtual Shutter Therapy is open to all photographers. Like and comment on the works of others. Thanks to Barbara Jetley for the topics!

Photography Club 2025 Digital Photography Contest

The Photography Club’s annual photography contest is now underway. Don’t wait until the last minute to pick your favorite photos to enter! The entry deadline is September 10, 2025. Photography Club members may enter up to 6 images, among 4 categories (Nature, Landscape, People, and Creative). Winners will be announced, and awards presented, at our October 8 meeting. For contest details and entry form, see our website at https://pagosaspringsphotoclub.org/2025/07/01/eighth-annual-digital-photo-contest/ .

Sidewalk Astronomers Astrophotography Contest

The Pagosa Sidewalk Astronomers are holding a photo contest to promote astro tourism and raise awareness about dark skies in the Pagosa Springs area. This contest will run from July 1st to August 31st. Winners will be announced on Sept. 10 at the Pagosa Springs Photography Club meeting. For details on taking part in this contest, see the Sidewalk Astronomers web page: https://pagosasidewalkastronomers.org .

Photography Club Membership

Looking for ways to improve your photography? Want to hang out with other photography enthusiasts? Then consider joining the Pagosa Springs Photography Club. We welcome anyone who enjoys making and appreciating great photographs. Club meetings and outings provide valuable insights into composition, light, and technique from experienced photographers. Regardless of the type of camera you use, Club membership can help you take better photos. Membership benefits include educational programs, image sharing and discussion, photo outings, and contests to foster improvement in photography. The annual membership fee is just $25. You can apply for membership on our website at https://pagosaspringsphotoclub.org/about/ or at one of our meetings.

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