nature – Pagosa Springs Photography Club

Photographing Motion: Creating Impressionistic or Abstract Images

The Pagosa Springs Photography Club will meet on May 13 in the Fellowship Hall of the Community United Methodist Church, located at 434 Lewis Street in Pagosa Springs. Feel free to arrive anytime after 6 p.m. to socialize; the program begins at 6:30 p.m. Photography Club meetings are open to the public.

This month’s presentation will be by Chris Roebuck, on Photographing Motion: Creating Impressionistic or Abstract Images. Chris will discuss seven different approaches to photographing motion, as diverse as using fast shutter speeds to freeze motion, to long exposures coupled with intentional camera motion to create abstract and impressionistic images. Try out some of these techniques to add variety and interest to your photos. This promises to be a presentation unlike any other you have seen!

Chris Roebuck is a member of the Pagosa Springs Photography Club and is a student of digital photography. He has traveled widely through the western US and around the world photographing Nature’s wonders.

This meeting will also be available on Zoom. Club members will receive the Zoom link via email, and if you’re not on the list, you can request it by emailing abutler@mac.com.

Image Share

Following the presentation, we will have our monthly image share session. Club members may bring up to five recent images to share and discuss with the group.

May Virtual Shutter Challenge

The Photography Club holds a Virtual Shutter Challenge each month. You do not have to be a Club member to participate.; the Challenge is open to all photographers The topic for May is Environmental Portraits. An environmental portrait tells a story before the subject speaks. It shows a person in a place that matters to them. Balance subject and setting so neither overpowers. Seek honest light, quiet gestures, and details that hint to us who they are. To take part, share up to three images on the theme by commenting on the post on this topic on our Facebook page, at https://www.facebook.com/PagosaPhotoClub.

Connect With Others in the Photography Club

A great way to improve your photography is to get to know others who share your passion. The Photography Club offers opportunities to learn from others and have fun with your photography. The Club has both programs and outings to help photographers of all skill levels improve their photography. Membership is just $25 a year ($35 for families). You can download a membership form from our website (https://pagosaspringsphotoclub.org/about/) and send it in with your payment (the form has all the details), or you can bring it to a Club meeting.

Getting Sharper Images

At the March 11 meeting of the Pagosa Springs Photography Club, club member David Lenderman will present a practical talk on a frequently requested topic: how to consistently get sharper images. The meeting will be held at the Community United Methodist Church, located at 434 Lewis Street in Pagosa Springs. Feel free to arrive anytime after 6 p.m. to socialize; the program begins at 6:30 p.m. Photography Club meetings are open to the public.

This presentation goes beyond simple camera settings. David will walk through real-world techniques for improving sharpness in the field, including camera settings, focus methods, camera stability, dealing with environmental issues, lens considerations, and common mistakes that quietly rob images of detail. The emphasis will be on shooting techniques, but David will also touch on editing tips to increase sharpness and image quality. The techniques taught will apply whether you shoot landscapes, wildlife, travel, or everyday subjects.

Prior to the technical program David will share a three to four minute music synced slideshow featuring a collection of his favorite wildlife and nature photos. If you enjoy images of birds, flowers, coral reefs, and other wildlife you will not be disappointed.

Photographers of all experience levels are encouraged to attend. You’ll leave with clear, actionable tips to help your photos look crisper, cleaner, and more professional.

Club members may bring up to five recent images to share and discuss with the group following David’s presentation.

This meeting will also be available on Zoom. Club members will receive the Zoom link via email, and if you’re not on the list, you can request it by emailing abutler@mac.com.

March 2026 Virtual Shutter Challenge

The March challenge is Color. Let color lead the eye. Chase bold primaries or whispering pastels. Explore harmony, clash, saturation, and restraint. Let a single hue dominate the frame, or let colors argue at the edges. Photograph emotion, mood, and meaning through color alone. Any photographer is welcome to participate in the challenge by sharing up to three photos as comments on the post about this topic on the Club’s Facebook Page t https://www.facebook.com/PagosaPhotoClub. And don’t forget to like and comment on the work of others.

Join us for Photography Adventures

Would you like to improve your photography? Consider joining the Pagosa Springs Photography Club. The Photography Club offers a great chance to connect with others who also love photography. The Club has both learning sessions and fun outings to help photographers of all skill levels grow. Membership is just $25 a year ($35 for families). You can download a membership form from our website (https://pagosaspringsphotoclub.org/about/) and send it in with your payment (the form has all the details), or you can bring it to a Club meeting.

Top Ten

January 14 Photography Club meeting

The Pagosa Springs Photography Club is getting together on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Community United Methodist Church, located at 434 Lewis Street in Pagosa Springs. Feel free to arrive anytime after 6 p.m. to chat and mingle; the program kicks off at 6:30 p.m.

For our January meeting, we’re having a Top Ten: Show and Tell session. In this fun event, Club members can bring up to ten of their favorite photos from the past year to share and discuss. It’s a great way to pick out your best images of the year—maybe they’re your absolute favorites, the most interesting ones, or the ones that challenged you the most. The aim is to spark some inspiration by discussing what makes a great photo, like composition, impact, and how well it’s done technically. Please bring your photos to the meeting on a flash drive.

This meeting will be a mix of in-person and online, with a Zoom link available too. Club members will receive the Zoom link via email, and if you’re not on the list, you can request it by emailing abutler@mac.com.

Bosque del Apache Photography Outing, Jan 9-12

Doug Coombs is leading a Photography Club trip to Bosque del Apache from January 9-12. We’ll be focusing on observing and photographing the Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese that spend the winter there, along with other birds and mammals. Bosque del Apache and Ladd S Gordon wildlife are refuges near Socorro, NM, south of Albuquerque. If you enjoyed Doug’s presentation at our November meeting, you’ll have a good idea of the amazing photographic opportunities these refuges offer. Socorro has several motels, and is conveniently located between the refuges. If you’re interested or want more details, please reach out to Doug at dfcoombs@gmail.com.

Doug has also shared some videos from a recent trip to Bosque here: https://www.dougsview.com/Custom-Pages/Video. Be sure to turn your sound on when watching these!

January Virtual Shutter Therapy

This month, the Club’s online challenge is all about For the Birds! Try to capture the unique personalities of birds in their natural surroundings. Look for little details like preening, feeding, flying, or just being still. The goal is to show off their personalities or the habitats they call home. Join the Club for a trip to Bosque del Apache this month to get some fantastic shots, or watch the birds in your backyard. Please participate in the challenge by commenting on the post about this topic on the Club’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PagosaPhotoClub. All photographers are welcome to share up to three photos. And don’t forget to like and comment on the work of others.

Join us for Photography Adventures

Did you get a new camera or lens for Christmas? Or are you looking to get better at photography? Either way, learning from others is a great way to do it improve your skills. The Pagosa Springs Photography Club offers a fantastic chance to connect with like-minded people who love photography. The Club has both learning sessions and fun outings to help photographers of all skill levels grow. Membership for 2026 is just $25 a year ($35 for families). You can download a membership form from our website (https://pagosaspringsphotoclub.org/about/) and send it in with your payment (the form has all the details), or you can bring it to a Club meeting.

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.

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.

Eighth Annual Digital Photo Contest

The 2025 Pagosa Springs Photography Club Digital Photography Contest is now open for entries. The Contest is open to all Photography Club members in good standing. New or renewing members may join the Club at the time they enter the contest. The submission deadline is September 10, 2025, and prizes will be presented at an Awards Celebration on October 8. As in previous years, members may submit up to 6 photos (2 per category) for a flat fee of $10. You only need to submit your digital image files, not prints. The top three images in each category will receive ribbons and cash prizes at the Awards Celebration, and all entries will be displayed at that time. There will be “People’s Choice” voting on the images entered, as well.

This year there will be four categories: Nature (such as flowers, wildlife, pets, domestic or farm animals, birds, insects); People (such as sports/action, candid, portrait, wedding, street, photojournalism), Landscape, (scenery is the main subject; may include city-scapes and night-scapes) and Creative (an OBVIOUS DEPARTURE FROM REALITY, such as a photo painting or abstract photo). See below to obtain the contest guidelines and entry form.

If you haven’t entered the contest previously, this is a great opportunity to get feed back, both from the judge 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 with the group. So select your best images and submit them!

For contest guidelines, and directions on entering your images, click here . The guidelines have instructions on how and where to submit your files. Then, download a contest entry form 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. The best way to submit your images is to use the Dropbox link in the entry form, but you may also bring entries on a flash drive to the PSPC August 13 or September 10 meetings.

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