landscape – Pagosa Springs Photography Club

Red Wash Outing

Members of the Photography Club gathered to hike and photograph a picturesque canyon near Abiquiu, New Mexico in late April. Most of us have driven this stretch of Highway 84, between Ghost Ranch and Abiquiu many times. Who would guess that there are dramatic slot canyons hidden in the red rock? Thanks to John Farley for informing us about the area! Below are a few photos from some of the participants, including John Farley, Chris Roebuck, Liz Jamison, Dave Anderson, Andy Butler, David Lenderman and Susanne Russell. Click on an image to enlarge it, and see the photographer and title. Use the arrows on the enlarged images to move between photos.

Photographing Brazil

Hyacinth Macaw — *Haycinth Macaw, Parnaiba Headwaters NP, Brazil, © Doug Coombs*

The May meeting of the Pagosa Springs Photography Club will be held on Wednesday, May 10, 6:00 p.m., at the Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis Street in Pagosa Springs. Our topic this month is Photographing Brazil, presented by Pagosa Springs photographer Doug Coombs.

In the summer of 2022 Doug Coombs, his wife Miyuki, and friends from the Los Alamos, New Mexico Photography Club took a 30+ day trip to Brazil to photograph birds, mammals, waterways, indigenous people, and some cityscapes. They visited five different venues including Cristalino Reserve in the southern section of the Brazilian Amazon, Emas National Park, Parnaiba Headwaters National Park, Rio de Janeiro and the Atlantic Rainforest nearby, and a seven night cruise on the Rio Negro and some of its tributaries, which are all tributaries of the Amazon. Doug will share and discuss photos from these sites in his presentation.

*Three-toed Sloth, Atlantic Rainforest, Brazil. © Doug Coombs*

Doug Coombs is a Pagosa Springs based photographer specializing in landscapes, birds, and other wildlife. He is also a member of the Pagosa Springs Photography Club. To see more of his images, visit Doug’s website at https://www.dougsview.com .

Our meeting will begin at 6 p.m. with socializing, and the program will begin at 6:30 p.m. This will be a hybrid meeting, also available on Zoom. The Zoom link will be emailed to members; others who wish to attend may request the link by email to abutler@mac.com. Photography Club meetings are open to the public.

The Pagosa Springs Photography Club promotes educational, social and fun interactions between all who enjoy making and viewing great photography. The club sponsors educational programs and photography outings to help members hone their skills. We welcome photographers of all skill levels. Dues for 2023 are just $25 ($35 family). For more information about the club, and to download a membership application, visit our website at https://pagosaspringsphotoclub.org/about/ .

Color and Intensity of Light

The next meeting of the Pagosa Springs Photography Club will be held on Wednesday, February 8, 6:30 p.m., at the Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis Street in Pagosa Springs. Our topic this month is Using the Color and Intensity of Light to Enhance Images. The presentation will be a video on the subject by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore. This will be a hybrid meeting, also available on Zoom. The Zoom link will be emailed to members; others who wish to attend may request the link by email to abutler@mac.com. If attending in person, feel free to arrive any time after 6 p.m. for socializing; the actual presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m., MST.

For our program, we will watch and discuss a video by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore about the Color and Intensity of Light, and how these characteristics can be used to establish mood and enhance the overall composition of your images.

Club members may bring up to five images on a flash drive to share and discuss with the group following the presentation. As a reminder, submitted images should be JPEG (JPG) format. Resize to about 2000 pixels in the longest dimension.

The Pagosa Springs Photography Club promotes educational, social and fun interactions between all who enjoy making and viewing great photography. The club sponsors educational programs and outings to help photographers hone their skills. The Photography Club’s membership year begins in January. We welcome photographers of all skill levels. Dues for 2023 are just $25 ($35 family). For more information about the club, and to download a membership application, visit our website at https://pagosaspringsphotoclub.org/about/ .

2022 PSPC Digital Photography Awards Celebration

The Fifth Annual Digital Photography Awards Celebration of the Pagosa Springs Photography Club was held on September 14 at the Elk Park Meadows Lodge, and by Zoom. This year 18 photographers submitted images in four categories: Landscape, Creative, People, and Nature. Images in each category were evaluated by impartial judges on the basis of composition, impact, and technical quality. In addition, Club members voted to determine “People’s Choice” winners for each of the four categories. During the evening, we enjoyed dinner, socializing and viewing all of the entries in this year’s competition.

In the Nature category, 1st place was awarded to Darryl Saffer for Terror Heron. Herb Grover received 2nd for Great Blue Flight, and 3rd was awarded to Kathie Disner for Pasque Flowers. This category was very competitive, with six images receiving Honorable Mention: My Fish and Little Blue Heron, both by Adrienne Disbrow, Dancing Cranes, by Andy Butler, Two Ravens by Herb Grover, Rufous by Liz Jamison and Hunting Stare by Scott Galabota. In the People’s Choice voting for this category, Disner’s Pasque Flowers received 1st, Darryl Saffer was awarded 2nd for Unhappy Fox and Grover’s Great Blue Flight was 3rd. (Click for larger images)

The winning image in the Creative category was Black ’n’ Yellow by Scott Galabota. Second was awarded to Chris Roebuck for BNSF8470 and 3rd went to Bill Milner for Penitente Cactus. Andy Butler and Tony Aldwell received Honorable Mentions for Desert Sunset and Glass Lights respectively. Topping the People’s Choice poll for this category was Spiders by Adrienne Disbrow. Roebuck’s BNSF8470 and Aldwell’s Glass Lights tied for 2nd.

Among the images entered in the People category, Kathie Disner received 1st place for Rascals, and also 2nd place for My Boots. Bill Milner was awarded 3rd for Charles Martinez, and Scott Galabota’s The Joy of Color received an Honorable Mention. Results of the People’s Choice voting for this category were Disner’s Rascals in first, Galabota’s The Joy of Color 2nd, and Fishin’ by Adrienne Disbrow in 3rd.

In the Landscape category, the top image was Yei Bichei & Totem Poll, by Andy Butler. Dave Anderson received 2nd for White Sands Dark Cloud, and Herb Grover’s Bosque Sunrise was 3rd. Receiving Honorable Mentions in this group were Lake San Cristobal by Scott Galabota, Echo North Slot Canyon in Fall by John Farley, and Homestead by Chris Roebuck. People’s Choice voting selected Anderson’s White Sands Dark Cloud first, Piedra River by Adrienne Disbrow 2nd, and Butler’s Yei Bichei & Totem Pole in 3rd.

Congratulations to all the winners! Thanks to everyone who entered, all those who voted for the People’s choice, and those who helped with the logistics of the contest and Awards Celebration. These include Scott Galabota, John Farley, Liz Jamison, Susanne Russell, Chris Roebuck, Doris Gellert, and Gregg Heid. Special thanks to our judges, Yvonne Lashmett (Creative and Landscape) and Eric Pahlke (Nature and People).

August Photo Club Meeting

“Late Afternoon in Monument Valley”, © Dave Anderson.

The August meeting of the Pagosa Springs Photography Club will be held on Wednesday, August 10, 6:30 p.m., at the Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis Street in Pagosa Springs. Our program this month is Major contemporary photographers: John Fielder and Landscape Photography, presented by Dave Anderson. This will be a hybrid meeting, also available on Zoom. The Zoom link will be emailed to members; others who wish to attend may request the link by email to abulter@mac.com . If attending in person, feel free to arrive any time after 6 p.m.; the actual presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m., MST.

Dave Anderson is a member of the Photography Club and an accomplished landscape photographer. In his presentation, Dave will discuss John Fielder’s work in photography from the point of view of his composition of landscape images. John Fielder is a well known large format photographer, author, teacher, publisher and conservationist who has produced wonderful images of Colorado since the 1970’s, that put him at the apex of landscape photography.

Club members may bring up to five images to share and discuss with the group following the presentation. If you are attending in person, bring your images on a flash drive; if attending by Zoom, please email them to abutler@mac.com no later than July 12. As a reminder, submitted images should be JPEG (JPG) format. Resize to about 2000 pixels in the longest dimension.

The Pagosa Springs Photography Club promotes educational, social and fun interactions between all who enjoy making and viewing great photography. The club sponsors educational programs and outings to help photographers hone their skills. Dues are at $25 per year ($35 family). For more information about the club, and to download a membership application, visit our website at https://pagosaspringsphotoclub.org/about/ .

Photo Club Alpine Wildflower Outing

Seven members o the Pagosa Springs Photography Club set forth to seek and photograph mountain wildflowers near Wolf Creek Pass on June 24. At our first stop, we found plenty of dew-covered blooms. Higher mountain meadows also had a variety of flowers in bloom, but eventually wind put some limits on what could be photographed. Below are some sample photographs, ranging from macro to close landscapes, from Club members Dave Anderson, Andy Butler, and Joe Sinclair. You can click on the popup caption of any image to view a larger version, and navigate through using the arrow keys on your computer, or by swiping on your mobile device.