Click to enlarge Saturday, May 14th several members of the Sioux City Camera Club participated in a photography workshop held at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska.  Members were instructed and guided by Mike Benkis during the 2 hour early admission photography session held prior to opening the gates to the public.  It was a great opportunity for everyone to get together and photograph the animals without having to navigate within crowds of people. Click to enlarge

Mike is a Nebraska native that started in Wildlife photography back in 2014 and has had his work published by the Omaha World Herold, Nebraska Land Magazine, Omaha Audubon Society, Nebraska Games and Parks, and various other publications.  Mike is very passionate about wildlife, especially birds and has developed a clean, bold, and dramatic artistic photographic style that has become a hallmark of his work. Click to enlarge

The zoo offers several on-site programs and camps throughout the year https://www.omahazoo.com/on-site-programs-and-camps.

Here's a gallery of some of the images that were made:  https://www.siouxcitycameraclub.com/p613215616

Ron Nicolls and Carl Hardy At its annual banquet on May 12, 2022, the Sioux City Camera Club presented its inaugural Fran and Vernice Kingsbury Meritorious Service Awards to Ron Nicolls and Carl Hardy. This award is named after longtime Club members Fran and Vernice Kingsbury, formerly of Ponca, Nebraska. Fran passed away in January. His 100th birthday would have been next month. Fran was a member of the Sioux City Camera Club, the North Central Camera Club Council (N4C, which he co-founded), and the Photographic Society of America for more than 65 years. He became a Fellow of the PSA in 1972. Fran and Vernice together provided decades of leadership and service to the photographic arts in Siouxland, in the Midwest, and around the world.

Nicoll’s introduction to the Club goes back 50 years to May 1972, when he attended the banquet at the Normandy Restaurant as the guest of Kevin Martin. He became a Club member in September of that year. Nicolls served extensively as an officer in the Club: VP in 1978 and 1979, President in 1980 and 1981, and Treasurer from 1982 to 1988 (doing double duty as Program Chair from 1982 to 1985). A second tenure as President followed in 1989 and 1990. Nicolls twice served as chair of N4C conventions hosted in Siouxland, in 1984 with Randy Williams and in 2000. In 2000–2001, he was President of N4C, and in 2004, he received N4C’s Founders Award.

Hardy is also a past president (1986 and 1987) of the Club, but most members know him best for his current essential role in so many Club and N4C Entry Level and Advance Level Photographers of the YearDenis Hirschman and Douglas Conrad activities. He is the editor of the N4C Handbook and the N4C Directory. He also chairs the N4C Video Essay and Club Communications contests as well as the N4C Pictorial (Color) and Altered Reality Print Competitions. For the Club, Hardy is the longtime editor of its award-winning Sioux Scope newsletter. He coordinates judging when the Sioux City Camera Club judges N4C contests, both print and digital. He is the longtime sender of pictorial and altered reality prints to N4C for the Club, and he stepped up to take on the N4C digital submissions in recent years as well. Hardy is also called on frequently when judge chairs have been required for Club competitions.

End-of-year awards were also presented at the banquet. Mitch Keller received four end-of-year awards for his digital and print photographs. Douglas Conrad received three awards. Denis Hirschman received two end-of-year awards. Ron Nicolls, Teresa Hebert, and Lucas Harbeck received one award each. Douglas Conrad was named the advanced level Photographer of the Year, and Denis Hirschman was named the entry level Photographer of the Year.

Since Covid restrictions have been lessened the Sioux City Camera Club will once again have our traditional annual awards banquet starting at 6 pm, Thursday, May 12th at 3900 Stadium Dr. in Sioux City.  This building is the office of the Siouxland Home Builders Association and just down the street from the Explorers baseball Stadium.  Please enter the building through the South entrance.  There will be ample parking for everyone.  The event will be catered and the cost will be $12.00 per person payable in advance to help defray the expense.  Click here to sign-up.  Payment can be made at our April 28th meeting.  If you can't make the meeting you can mail a check to Julia Harbeck at 1006 Logan St., Sioux City, IA 51105 or pay on line at https://sccc-banquet.cheddarup.com.  Wildlife and Nature photographer, Mike Benkis of Omaha, will be our guest speaker.

The following awards will be presented for both Advanced and Entry Level Photographers:

• Best black & white digital image of the year (Previously Submitted and Open Class)
• Best black & white print image of the year (Previously Submitted and Open Class)
• Best color digital image of the year (Previously Submitted and Open Class)
• Best color print image of the year (Previously Submitted and Open Class)
• Photographer of the Year
• Black & white print Photographer of the Year
• Black & white digital Photographer of the Year
• Color print Photographer of the Year
• Color digital Photographer of the Year

The deadline for submitting your year-end digital entries will be Saturday, April 30th, by 5:00 pm.  Digital entries are to be sent via email to [email protected]  Be sure to include what you are submitting in the subject line, such as Previously Entered and or Open Class, as well as Advanced or Entry Level.  Print entries are to be dropped off at the April 28th meeting.

You may enter 2 digital black & white and color images and 2 black & white and color print images in each category (Previously Submitted, Open Class).  Previously Submitted entries must have been submitted in this years monthly competition.  Open Class entries are unrestricted.  Images that have previously won an image of the year award are not eligible.

Digital images need to be re-named and resized (1920 pixels on the long side and no more than 750 KB) the same manner in which you have been entering monthly competitions.

The SCCC Annual Awards Banquet is this Thursday, May 13^th from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the Sioux City Art Center.  A video slide show exhibiting all of the annual digital and print competition entries will be presented as well as the following awards:

Digital Competition Awards

Black & White Digital Image of the Year Previously Entered

Black & White Digital Image of the Year Open Class

Color Digital Image of the Year Previously Entered

Color Digital Image of the Year Open Class

Print Competition Awards

Black & White Print of the Year Previously Entered

Black & White Print of the Year Open Class

Color Print of the Year Previously Entered

Color Print of the Year Open Class

Photographer of the Year Awards

Digital Black & White Photographer of the Year

Digital Color Photographer of the Year

Print Black & White Photographer of the Year

Print Color Photographer of the Year

Entry Level Photographer of the Year

(Advanced Level) Photographer of the Year

The digital judge for this year’s annual digital competition was Clark Colby.  Clark is an Arts Communication and Design Program Specialist and an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Art and Visual Culture at Iowa State University.  Mary Anne Redding, curator of the Sioux City Art Center was this year’s annual print judge.  Mary Anne will be there to provide her input about the print competition.

Britton Hacke, our guest speaker, will be presenting and talking about his special photography.  Britton is the house photographer at the Tyson Events Center, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and the Orpheum Theater.  He owns and operates his own photography business and also works as a comedian.

For those that can’t make it, the banquet will be live streamed on a limited basis as we do not have the ability to stream everything.  Please note that the link provided in the May newsletter is not correct.  To join click on the following link https://mside.webex.com/mside/j.php?MTID=mc10f5577a9c215493f5f8c12d4c80ec0 which Mitch will activate at 6:45 pm.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (February 2, 2021) The Sioux City Camera Club will open its photography exhibit on February 16 at the Betty Strong Encounter Center’s main gallery. The Club will present a rich range of images through March 28, 2021.

Founded more than a century ago, the Sioux City Camera Club is committed to the mutual education and learning in the science and art of photography. Members promote and encourage advancement of its group through the knowledge and practice of photography.

President Tom Schoening invites anyone interested in cameras to join the club: “Our club members enjoy the opportunity to share their images, to enjoy fellowship with like-minded shutterbuggers, and to improve their photography skills.”

The Sioux City Art Center has more photos on display now than ever in its history. The displays include an exhibit by the Sioux City Camera Club with the theme "Solitude."

A rather appropriate theme, considering the current pandemic lockdown. If the public is not willing to go to the arts center, they can now view our photo exhibit via YouTube video.

Watch "Solitude: A photo exhibit by the Sioux City Camera Club", produced by Tom Schoening on YouTube.  https://youtu.be/4BF1izdtqPQ

The Sioux City Camera Club members are invited to exhibit a your best photograph for our display at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center gallery. There is no theme for the exhibit so pick your best image. 

The photographs can be any size, either black and white or color, and and needs to be mounted in a black frame with a white mat and wire hanger.  The wire hangar needs to be 2 inches below the top of the frame when hung.  Usually one photograph from each member is displayed but if they have room, it's possible that more than one photo from a member may be displayed.

Please bring your framed print along with a completed informational form to the center anytime before February 10, 2021.  You can download and print out the informational form here. The exhibit will open on February 15, 2021.  The management of the Lewis and Clark Center retains the right to decline any photograph for display.  

Art Center Curator Mary Anne Redding and Sioux City Camera Club President Tom Schoening will talk about the photo exhibits at the Sioux City Art Center on the Drive Time Live talk radio show with Mark Hahn.    

The show is scheduled after the 5:00 p.m. news on Thursday, December 10th from the Art Center Library.  To listen to this live broadcast tune in to 1360 AM, 94.8 FM or live on the web at www.kscj.com/listen-live.

The next Camera Club exhibit at the Sioux City Art Center opens November 7th and will run through January 24, 2021.  The theme of this year’s exhibit is Solitude.  

This exhibit will be a juried event by the Art Center’s new Curator, Mary Anne Redding.  Each club member should submit 3 images for consideration of which one or more will be selected for the exhibit.  Your images are to be submitted via email to [email protected].  The deadline for submitting your entries is Friday, October 9^th by 5 PM.  You will then be notified of her selections by Tuesday, October 13^th.  The deadline for delivery of the selected photographs to the Art Center will be Tuesday, October 27^th. 

Framing requirements are the same as in the past, black frame, with white matt and glass.  Recommended size of the frame is 16" x 20".  The wire hanger needs to be two inches below the top of the frame when hung.  Your name, address and title need to be on the back as well as the price if you wish to sell.  The Art Center receives a percentage of each sale. 

The Sioux City Camera Club’s annual 2019/20 awards have been determined and the announcement will be made via the WebEx video conferencing system. Once again, Mitch Keller has set it up and will be hosting it.  As in the past, Doug Conrad has made a video slide show of all 2019/20 year end entries and all of the winners will be announced in the video slide show.  Due to the Covid 19 pandemic we did not conduct a year end print competition this year, only a digital competition.  The video conference will be held on Thursday, June 25^th starting at 7:oo p.m. 

Instructions for joining this meeting are the same as our previous video conferences and can be reviewed below.  You should not need to download any software to connect. Simply click on the up-dated link below, which Mitch will activate at 6:45pm CDT:

https://mside.webex.com/mside/j.php?MTID=m22562f0e5eacce8a09bdafe84a1c20db

If you are, for some reason, asked for a meeting number, enter 145 211 9038.  If you are asked for a password, enter SCCC. You should not need this information, based on the testing we did earlier. 

The video conference will be configured to automatically mute your microphone. If you want to speak so others can hear you, click the Mic button so it turns gray. When you are done, click it again to mute yourself. The button will turn red. Because the internet all around us is being overwhelmed with so many people at home, please turn OFF (red) your video camera unless you are one of the program presenters.

Instead of turning on your microphone, we strongly recommend using the chat feature during the video conference if you want to ask a question or make a comment. Click the speech bubble icon and you’ll get a chat section on your screen next to the video. Mitch will monitor the chat so that your questions or comments can be announced. 

If you have trouble hearing, please first make sure that the volume is turned up on your computer. If that doesn’t solve the problem, we have found through testing that disconnecting (Click the red X button labeled “Disconnect” in the attached image.) and then clicking the link in this email to connect again has solved the problem.

If things go to plan, a recording of this meeting will be available to watch within a day or two for those who are unable to join or have technical difficulties.

Because the coronavirus situation in our area is still growing, the Camera Club Board of Directors voted unanimously to cancel the annual banquet this year.  Also, due to this unique situation, the board also agreed to cancel the annual print competition as well. 

The club will, however, hold its annual digital competition and conduct and announce the annual Photographer of the Year awards.  New this year, the board has decided to give out an entry level photographer of the year award based on accumulative point total during the year.

After the digital images are judged, the results will be announced  as well as Photographer of the Year awards via a video conference meeting later in May, with a date to be determined.

The deadline for submitting your year-end digital entries will be Saturday, May 9^th.  Awards will be presented for the following categories:

• Best digital black & white image of the year (Previously Submitted)
• Best digital black & white image of the year (Open Class)
• Best digital color image of the year (Previously Submitted)
• Best digital color image of the year (Open Class)

You may enter 2 images in each of the above categories.  Previously Submitted entries must have been entered in this year’s monthly competition.  Open Class entries are unrestricted.  Images that have previously won an image of the year award are not eligible. 

Your digital entries need to be renamed and resized (1920 pixels on the longest side and no more than 750 KB) according to monthly competition rules https://www.siouxcitycameraclub.com/club-rules and sent to [email protected].  Please include the appropriate category (Previously Submitted or Open Class) in the subject line of the email.

Photographer of the Year awards are based on points earned during the year and will be given for:

• Black & White Print Photographer of the Year
• Color Print Photographer of the Year
• Digital Black & White Photographer of the Year
• Digital Color Photographer of the Year
• Entry Level Photographer of the Year
• Photographer of the Year

Hope everyone is doing well and keeping safe.

Our next meeting, Thursday, April 9^th, will be held again using the WebEx video conferencing system. At this meeting we will be reviewing and commenting on the View and Review images. The theme for April is “Signs of Spring”.  If you haven’t submitted anything yet the deadline has been extended to Wednesday, April 8^th at 6:00 pm.  Send your images to [email protected].  Be sure and put View and Review in the subject line. Other item’s on the meeting agenda include a report from the Nominating Committee regarding nominees for the Vice Presidents positions that is being vacated by Jerry Mennenga, tentative plans for May’s annual awards banquet and report on the 2020 N4C convention.

Instructions for joining this meeting are the same as last month and can be reviewed below.  You should not need to download any software to connect. Simply click on the up-dated link below, which Mitch will activate at 6:45pm CDT:

https://mside.webex.com/mside/j.php?MTID=m1aaceab9159f1a09347c9e6b001cf61a

If you are, for some reason, asked for a meeting number, enter 928 675 681. If you are asked for a password, enter SCCC. You should not need this information, based on the testing we did earlier. 

The video conference will be configured to automatically mute your microphone. If you want to speak so others can hear you, click the Mic button so it turns gray. When you are done, click it again to mute yourself. The button will turn red. Because the internet all around us is being overwhelmed with so many people at home, please turn OFF (red) your video camera unless you are one of the judge chairs who will be reading the results.

Instead of turning on your microphone, we strongly recommend using the chat feature during the video conference if you want to ask a question or make a comment. Click the speech bubble icon (labeled “Chat” in the attached image) and you’ll get a chat section on your screen next to the video. Mitch will monitor the chat so that the judge chairs can be asked to stop, back up, etc. based on comments.

If you have trouble hearing, please first make sure that the volume is turned up on your computer. If that doesn’t solve the problem, we have found through testing that disconnecting (Click the red X button labeled “Disconnect” in the attached image.) and then clicking the link in this email to connect again has solved the problem.

If things go to plan, a recording of this meeting will be available to watch within a day or two for those who are unable to join or have technical difficulties.

Sioux City Camera Club members mark your calendar for Monday, April, 27th, 1pm-2:30pm for a live webinar I have set up with Matt Kloskowski.  This webinar has been set up exclusively for Sioux City Camera Club members only and is free.  In this live broadcast with Matt, you'll learn some great techniques for editing your photos in Lightroom and when to jump over to Photoshop to help out.  This will be a late beginner to early intermediate level presentation, but really... it's just about having some fun with your photos and improving your editing during this time indoors.  Here's what you need to do:

1. Each person in the club needs to sign-up

2. The session will be recorded but you'll still need to sign up to get the recording (even if you can't watch live you'll still get it)

3. Mark your calendars, but the system will automatically send you reminder notifications too.

4. You'll be able to enter the webcast room about 15-20 minutes before the webcast starts

5. There will be an area for Q&A once you log in to the live webcast on the day of the webinar

Here's the sign-up link for everyone: https://www.bigmarker.com/matt-k/How-to-Edit-Photos-Like-a-Pro-Sioux-City-Camera-Club

For those of you who aren't familiar with Matt Kloskowski, he is from Tampa, Florida and an educator creating courses and presets to help you with photography and photo editing.  He has over 300,000 followers on Social Media. His YouTube channel has been featured on numerous websites and his training videos have gotten over 4.2 million views.  You can find more about Matt here: https://mattk.com/about/

Hope everyone will sign up.

Doug Conrad