travel – Page 3 – Pagosa Springs Photography Club

March 8 Meeting: The Magic of Africa

The next meeting of the Pagosa Springs Photography Club will be held on Wednesday, March 8, 6:30 p.m., at the Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis Street in Pagosa Springs. Our topic this month is The Magic of Africa, presented by Pagosa Springs based photographer Beth Tollefsen. This will be a hybrid meeting, also available on Zoom. The Zoom link will be emailed to members; others who wish to attend by Zoom 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. Photography Club meetings are open to the public.

Beth Tollefsen has photographed extensively in the American West and in East Africa. According to Beth, after one visit to Kenya she was hooked, falling in love with the people, land and of course the animals of Africa.

Being on safari in the heart of the African bush is one of the few places left to experience nature that is still raw and wild.

According to Beth, “It does not matter if you are new to photography or a seasoned photographer, you will come home with images that you will treasure. It is hard to explain the feeling when you watch the bonds between mother and baby. Lions live in a pride and it is quite evident the love and respect they have for each other. You will see them eating, sleeping, playing grooming and simply showing affection for each other. The elephants are such intelligent family oriented animals. Then there are the zebra, wildebeest, impala, giraffe, rhinos, hippos, buffalo, colorful birds and the very entertaining baboons and monkeys! Just too many animals to name them all!”

It is Beth’s hope that the images she shares will bring awareness of the lives of animals and the heart and soul they each have and why it is important to protect the wild areas that sustain these magnificent creatures.

Beth will share photos from three trips, two to Kenya and one to Zimbabwe. She will touch on the different types of safaris available, what to expect, and what to look for if you choose to take a trip of a lifetime to Africa.

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/ .

Photo Club Slot Canyon Outing

A dozen members o the Pagosa Springs Photography Club hiked and photographed a couple of slot canyons near Echo Amphitheater in Northern New Mexico on April 11. This is a slice of “canyon country” within a couple of hours of Pagosa Springs, hiding several short but sweet slot canyons. We met up at Echo Amphitheater itself and then made our way to the canyons. The morning started off with some amazing skies with scudding clouds, and became more overcast later in the day. We first hiked to Rim Canyon, then did Echo North Slot Canyon. Neither canyon was too difficult, for the most part. Many thanks to John Farley for suggesting and organizing this outing! Below are some sample photographs from Club members Liz Jamison, John Farley, Andy Butler, and Mark Guenin. 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.

Search for the Queen of Sheba

The February meeting of the Pagosa Springs Photography Club will be held on Wednesday, February 9, 6:30 p.m., at the Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis Street in Pagosa Springs. 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.; the actual presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m., MST.

We are excited this month to feature a screening of the latest movie in the Wild Orchid Man series, by Pagosa Springs resident and Club member Darryl Saffer. Darryl will introduce the film and answer questions about it. Wild Orchid Man – Search for the Queen of Sheba was filmed during two expeditions in Western Australia. Led by Stig Dalström, AKA the Wild Orchid Man, intrepid botanists search for the rare and beautiful Queen of Sheba orchid, found only in a small area of Western Australia. Their search also reveals many other unique and striking orchids, as well as much about the ecology of this little-known part of the world. Darryl brings the story to life with his videography and original music. The film has won a number of awards, including from the Druk International Film Festival, Nature Without Borders Film Festival, and was a finalist at the Swedish International Film Festival.

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. For new members, dues remain at $25 this year ($35 family). The membership form may be downloaded and mailed in with your payment (instructions are on the form) or brought to a Club meeting.

PSPC Bosque Outing

A group of Photography Club members spent Dec 5-7, 2021 in Socorro, NM on a Photography Club outing. We photographed at nearby Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge and at Ladd S Gordon Waterfowl Complex, at Bernardo. Both refuges are well-known as wintering areas for waterfowl, particularly Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes. This year, photography conditions were altered due to drought conditions in the area: some of the ponds where we’ve had success in past years were dry. There were far fewer cranes than seen in prior years. But there were still thousands of birds, good blast-offs at the “Flight Deck”, and spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Overall, another fun and productive outing.

Here are a few sample images from Club members Dave Anderson, Andy Butler, and Doug Coombs. Click on the popup caption of any image to view a larger version, navigate through using your arrow keys.

Travel Photography in Alaska

The November Pagosa Springs Photography Club meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 10 at 6:30 PM, MST. This will be a hybrid meeting, held both in person at the Community United Methodist Church, or by Zoom for those who can’t be present in person. If attending in person, feel free to arrive at any time after 6 PM for socializing.

Our featured speaker this month will be Herb Grover, speaking about Travel Photography in Alaska. Herb is a retired professor of biology from Wayland Baptist University in Texas, and now resides in Pagosa Springs. He has been a member of the Pagosa Springs Photography Club for about five years.

Herb and his wife Linda were able to visit Alaska this past June, caravanning with their family in rental RVs. Their itinerary included Denali National Park; Eagle River Nature Center; an all-day boat tour out of Seward to view wildlife and glaciers; a visit to the Alaska Sea Life Center; a hike to Exit Glacier; and various stops in between. Clear weather during their visit to Denali National Park afforded them spectacular views of Denali. Herb will be sharing the best of his landscape and wildlife photos taken at each of these sites, along with tips and tricks for visiting Alaska post-COVID.

Club members will receive an email with the Zoom link. Others who are interested in watching may contact Andy Butler at abutler@mac.com for the link.

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. Membership is just $25/calendar year for individuals and $35 for families. Non-members are invited to attend a meeting to learn more about the club. For membership information visit our website at https://pagosaspringsphotoclub.org/about/ .

Photo Club Outing: Chama Train Chase

Members of the Pagosa Springs Photography Club traveled to Chama, NM on Oct 4. After a quick stop at the train yard in Chama, we headed out to photograph the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Rail Road steam train as it chugged its way up the mountain from Chama to Cumbres Pass (and a little beyond). The strategy was shoot photos, rush to the next good opportunity, and repeat. With fine weather and great Autumn foliage, it was a terrific outing. Here is a sample of member’s photos from the day, from Kathie Disner, Andy Butler, and Liz Jamison.