I signed up last week for membership in the South Jersey Camera Club, to pursue my interest, and gain knowledge in taking photos. I was also taking some advice from the Netflix special “Final Last Words” from the actor Eric Dane, in “Finding Love” in my passion, purpose and joy of photography. I had submitted the photo above for this month’s competition for Light and Shadow. My first meeting was last night.
I had submitted five photos with my membership application. The submission was to assist the groups leadership place me in one of three groups for future evaluations and challenges. I submitted a variety of photos from my past travels. A closeup portrait of a large tortoise in the Galapagos. A picture of lighted candles within a church in Sicily. A close up of a cluster of red flowers from France. A squatting turbaned Egyptian gentleman behind a doorway in a temple on the Nile. And the landscape photo above. As an amateur photographer, with no real technical knowledge of taking photos, I assumed and commented that I should be placed in the “Emerging” or beginner’s category of the group. After reviewing my photos submitted, they shockingly placed me in the middle group called “Advanced” level.
In the last week someone from the Camera Club reached out to me as an Ambassador for the Club to give me an idea of what to expect from the club and my first meeting. I was told there were about forty or so members in the group, and that it was informal with a wide range of capabilities from beginners to professional. He said to just bring myself and a small note pad if I wanted to take some notes. No camera was needed. The Ambassador had been with the group for years and had since moved up to the top level called “Salon”, from starting in the “Emerging” level. I learned from speaking with him that he was also retired for a number of years and was a traveler. I ask what I always do of travelers – what was your favorite trip and where are you headed next. He said that his wife doesn’t like to go to the same place twice, like me, but he has been to Japan twice, his favorite place. He said he is headed to South Korea in a few weeks. We spoke for over a half hour comparing notes from the places we’d been. He made me feel comfortable with the group and said he’d see me at the next monthly meeting to help me get acclimated to the group.
I walked into the auditorium of the over 55 community, where my first meeting was being held. Fortunately, when I googled “Camera Club near me,” it found one that met a few blocks from my house. There were thirty plus elderly people gathered in small groups talking before the start of the meeting. I was looking for the ambassador I had spoken to, who said he’d sit with me to guide me through the meeting and introduce me to some of the members. I found Bernard, my traveling ambassador, who took me under his wing and introduced me around. Then the meeting began with the introduction of the esteemed guest evaluator Frank from Olympus cameras. The topic of this month’s meeting was Light and Shadow. The lights dimmed and the moderator pulled up the submitted images from the Emerging group on the big screen at the front of the auditorium. There were six photos displayed. Frank went through each photo and provided his expert opinion. After reviewing each photo, he selected a first through third place and an honorable mention, displaying the names of the photographers. The moderator then brought up the almost twenty submitted photos in the Advance class. My group. When he got to my photo, named “A Leap Year of Firsts”, since it was the photo on the cover of my book of the same name, he provided his suggestions on improvement. Frank rapidly stated… “the photos of the two people in the center would be better off center” … “the camera could have been held higher so the heads of the individuals would be out of the horizon line” … “the color is good” … “the lines are good” … “I like the composition.” And then he moved on. The comments helped me see what I could do in the future to improve my photos, which was the point of the exercise. At the end of review of all the photos he sat and made his selection, picking 1st, 2nd and 3rd place first. I did not place, nor did I expect to. There were some great photos submitted. The three winners were all black and white photos. He then went to select the honorable mention winner and called my name! Surprise, surprise. On my first submission at my first Camera Club meeting, I placed and was recognized. I was proud, with much more to learn to improve.
I’m grateful for every day. Grateful for every FIRST I am able to experience! Hopefully you join me on the journey, to find and pursue your love, whatever that may be…