Tag: landscape

Geology of Colorado

Chimney Rock, near Pagosa Springs, is an excellent example of how the geologic history of Colorado has shaped the landscape that photographers love to record. Photo © Andy Butler.

The Pagosa Springs Photography Club will next meet on March 13, at the Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St. Come at 6 PM for socializing. The presentation will begin at 6:30 PM. Our featured topic this month will be the Geologic History of Colorado, presented by Jeb Baxter. The meeting is open to the public.

This will be a hybrid meeting, also available on Zoom. The Zoom link will be emailed to members; others who wish to attend remotely may request the link by email to abutler@mac.com . 

If you are a landscape photographer, then you well know how important geology is to finding photographic opportunities. Just look at the San Juan Mountains near Pagosa Springs, Chimney Rock, or the red rock canyons and arches of Utah.

Baxter’s presentation will provide an overview of the geologic history of Colorado and localities where the evidence of this history is visible in the rocks.  The talk will begin with the screening of a 25 minute video by the Interactive Geology Project.  The video will then be followed by an explanation of key geologic processes and additional evidence of geologic history in the Four Corners region.  The talk is designed to provoke discussion with the audience and questions are welcomed throughout.

James Baxter is a retired professional geologist and professor of geology, who now lives in Pagosa Springs.  He earned a BS in Geological Sciences at Lehigh University and MS in Geology at The Pennsylvania State University.  His professional career included 16 years of experience in the environmental consulting industry followed by 20 years on the faculty of Harrisburg Area Community College.

The Pagosa Springs Photography Club welcomes all who enjoy making and viewing great photography. The club sponsors educational programs and outings to help photographers build their skills.  For more information about the club, and to download a membership application, visit our website at https://pagosaspringsphotoclub.org/about/ .

Photo Club Moab Outing

Nine Photography Club members traveled to Moab, UT, Feb 20-23, 2024 to photograph in the area. Most of our outings were to Arches NP for sunrise or sunset sessions, plus one to the Island in the Sky region of Canyonlands NP. The first evening’s weather wasn’t great, but otherwise we had lots of good options in a very photogenic area. It was a good opportunity to learn from one another, see some majestic landscapes, and get some good images.

Here are a few sample images from Club members Doug Coombs, Al and Jo Myatt, Andy Butler, Lisa Tedder, and Chris Plemons. Check back, this is a live document and more photos will likely be posted. Click on any image to view a larger version, navigate through using your arrow keys.

Sixth Pagosa Springs Photo Club Digital Photo Contest

The Pagosa Springs Photography Club is pleased to announce our Sixth Annual Digital Photo Contest. 

There will be four Contest categories this year: Landscape, People, Creative, and Nature. The contest is open to all current members of the Club. New or renewing members may join at the time they enter the contest. Each member may submit two images per category (up to six total), for a flat entry fee of $10. Images should be submitted as digital files. Submissions are due by September 15, 2023. Awards will be presented at the PSPC October meeting and Awards Celebration, which will be held at the PLPOA Club House on Vista Dr., on October 11, 6:00 pm. The top 3 images in each category will receive cash prizes. All entries will be displayed at the Awards Celebration. We will again have “People’s Choice” voting on the images entered, as well.

If you haven’t taken part in the contest previously, this is a great opportunity to get feed back, both from our judges and from other Club members, about your images. Our goal with this contest is not only to recognize members for their talent, but also to encourage everyone to share their best work. So pick your images and submit them!

For contest guidelines, and instruction on entering your images, go to:  https://pagosaspringsphotoclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023-contest-guidelines.pdf . The guidelines have instructions on how and where to submit your files. Then, download a contest entry form here: https://pagosaspringsphotoclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023-pspc-contest-entry-1.pdf and fill it out with your entries. Note: you should be able to fill in the information on the entry form using the text tool of Adobe Acrobat Reader or Mac Preview. 

Williams Creek Reservoir Outing

Five Photography Club members did a photo walk/drive in the Williams Creek Reservoir area on June 22. It was a gorgeous day, with a few fast moving clouds in an otherwise blue sky. Our goal was to photograph mountain scenery, reflections, wild flowers and whatever else we might see. There were still a few massive patches of iris, as well as other wildflowers in bloom. We managed to find two of the elusive forest gnomes; carvings of bearded gentlemen in stumps near the lake. Below are a few photos of the day, from Dave Anderson, Andy Butler, and Joe Sinclair. Click on the photos to see larger versions.

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
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/ .