Club News

The Decisive Moment

The June Photography Club meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.,  at the Community United Methodist Church  (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.  Photography Club meetings are open to the public. Please use the side door near the parking lot to enter.

Our topic this month is The Decisive Moment. We will discuss the meaning of this photographic concept and how to capture images of this type.. 

Photographers have the ability to record a fleeting moment in time. With the right light, good composition, an interesting subject and perfect timing, a photograph can be filled with unique emotion. The French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson is credited with originating the phrase “the decisive moment” to describe the process of photographing these situations. 

For our June program, we will watch and discuss a video by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore, offering ideas for practicing and achieving “decisive moment” photographs. Done well, this includes understanding your subject so that you can pre-visualize the timing and the composition needed to achieve your desired image. Although Cartier-Bresson pioneered this idea in his street photography, there are many other photographic situations such as wildlife, sports, and events where the concept may apply.

Following the presentation, we will have our monthly Image Share. Club members may bring up to five images to show and discuss. These should be brought on a thumb drive or SSD. With the new monitor at the church, size your images around 4000 pixels on the long side for best presentation. 

This meeting will also be available by Zoom. Club members will receive the Zoom link by email, others may request it from abutler@mac.com . 

Virtual Shutter Therapy

For June, the Club’s Virtual Shutter Therapy topic will be “Spring Flowers”.  Our Pagosa Springs flowers are on display to attract pollinators and photographers.  Vibrant colors and a variety of sizes from tiny to bold grace our hillsides. Please take part by sharing up to three photos on the topic, as comments to the post on this topic on our Facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/PagosaPhotoClubport . This theme is open for entries until July 6, and is open to all photographers. Like and comment on the works of others. 

Expand your photosphere

Expand your photosphere. Click to see PDF.

photosphere

Florida birds

Florida birds. Click to see PDF.

Florida birds

May Meeting: Ecuador’s Cloud Forest

The Pagosa Springs Photography Club will hold its regular meeting on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., at the Community United Methodist Church located at 434 Lewis Street in Pagosa Springs. Photo Club meetings are open to the public. Feel free to arrive anytime after 6 p.m. to socialize; the program will commence at 6:30 p.m. Please use the side door near the parking lot to enter.

This month’s program will feature Club member Charlie Tyrrell, who will deliver a captivating presentation titled Ecuador’s Cloud Forest.

During his presentation, Charlie will showcase and discuss photographs from a birding expedition he embarked on to the Mindo Cloud Forest in Ecuador. Renowned for its vibrant hummingbirds and other exotic species, the Mindo Cloud Forest is a true gem of the Andes Mountains.

The Mindo Cloud Forest is often enveloped in a perpetual mist and clouds, which provide consistent moisture to the landscape. Widely recognized as a biodiversity hotspot, this area boasts over 550 species of birds, many of which are not only visually striking but also exhibit unique behaviors. The Mindo Cloud Forest Foundation, a prominent conservation organization, recognizes the significance of “tourism-focused birdwatching” in fostering conservation and sustainable economic growth for local communities. By preserving this life-sustaining habitat, tourism can be economically attractive, contributing to the well-being of the region.

Charlie, a retired engineer with a passion for wildlife and landscape photography, settled in Pagosa Springs in 2022. Despite considering himself an amateur, his remarkable photographs showcase his skill.

This meeting will be hybrid, with Zoom as an alternative. The Zoom link will be emailed to members. Those who wish to attend remotely can request the link via email to abutler@mac.com.

Photography Club Membership

Are you seeking ways to enhance your photography skills? Joining the Photography Club is an excellent opportunity to learn how to maximize the potential of your camera. The Pagosa Springs Photography Club welcomes everyone who enjoys capturing and appreciating beautiful photographs. Our club meetings and outings provide valuable insights into composition, light, and technique from experienced photographers. Regardless of the type of camera you use, we can assist you in optimizing your gear. Membership benefits include educational programs, image sharing and discussion, photo outings, and contests to foster mutual 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.

Journey to Africa, April Meeting

The Photography Club’s April meeting will be on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, 6:00 p.m.,at the Community United Methodist Church located at 434 Lewis Street.  Our program this month will feature Club member, Doug Coombs, who will take us on a Journey to Africa. Arrive any time after 6 p.m. for socializing; the program will begin at 6:30 p.m. Please use the side door near the parking lot to enter.

Photography Club meetings are open to the public. This will be a hybrid meeting, live, in person, as well as by Zoom. If you need the Zoom link, please contact Andy Butler.

In his presentation, Doug will be discussing photographs he took in Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, and Botswana on four different safari trips. His photos will include the Big 5: Elephants, Lions, Leopards, Hippos and Cape Buffalo. He will also share images of numerous smaller mammals and birds, as well as of the Maasai people, and some classic African sunrises and sunsets.

Doug will also bring some books and literature provided by one of the safari companies, used for two of his adventures, to hand out to the audience. These are great resources if you want to plan your own “Journey to Africa”.

Doug Coombs is a landscape and wildlife photographer who moved to Pagosa Springs following his retirement from Los Alamos National Lab, in New Mexico. In Los Alamos, Doug was chairman of both the Los Alamos Photography Club, and the Los Alamos Adobe Users Group. Doug and his wife Miyuki love to travel around the western US and the World, while photographing wildlife, birds, and landscapes.

As usual, we will have our Members’ Image Share following Doug’s presentation. Club members may bring up to 5 images on a thumb drive to share and briefly discuss. Images should be saved in jpg format. The Methodist Church now has a great 4K monitor in the room where we meet. With this increased quality, please save your landscape aspect images with a horizontal resolution of about 4000 pixels, and portrait aspect images at a vertical resolution of 2000-2400 pixels to take full advantage of the screen. 

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