Past Meetings

Aurora Borealis lights up the sky in green ribbons and a comet draws a white line across the sky. The foreground is a froze shore that reflects the green in the sky.

Brian Leary's Shoot for the Sky - Photographing the Milky Way and the Aurora Borealis
Thursday, August 8, 2024

The best time of the year to photograph the Milky Way is right on our doorstep, and with the Aurora Borealis having a record year, there are a lot of opportunities to take your own surreal and amazing images of the night sky. Armed with a little bit of knowledge, taking images of celestial events is easier than you might think. Join photographer and educator, Brian Leary, for a look into the techniques and planning necessary to capture unique images you will want to share for years to come.

The recording is here: Brian Leary, Sierra Club Camera Committee 8 August 2024 on Vimeo

Prickly pear cactus with pink flowers at Nankoweap

^{Prickly pear blooming in Nanoweap by Joe Doherty}

The June MEMBERS Show
Thursday, June 13, 2024

Featuring John Nilsson, Dan Gee, Jeffrey Douglass, Beverly Houwing, Ed Ogawa, Velda Ruddock, and Joe Doherty.
The link is coming!

Sorry! The April 2024 meeting was cancelled.

Rod Barbee took Us to the Palouse in Eastern Washington and then whisked us up to Sitka for bubble-net feeding humpback whales!
February 2024.

Watch the recording on Vimeo here: Rod Barbee, Sierra Club Camera Committee 2/8/2024 on Vimeo

^{December Members Show - Beverly Houwing kicked it off with this Giraffe Weevil from Madagascar.}

The December 2023 Members Show

Featuring Beverly Houwing, and more

Watch the recording here on Vimeo https://vimeo.com/899394720

^{Amongst the California redwoods ©Ralph Nordstrom}

Ralph Nordstrom presented Two Lessons in Two Environments.

October 2023

Ralph Norstrom presented two photo technique lessons. First photographing BIG TREES with special attention on California’s Coastal Redwoods. Then Ralph talked about the photo challenges and advantages of photographing in Zion National Park and gave us a bit of Zion's geological background.

About Ralph My photographic journey has taken me through many stages over the years. Early on, I didn’t know what I was doing but I was filled with enthusiasm. Then, I realized I needed some help if I was going to grow as a photographer, so I started attending workshops. As my skills grew, I found myself looking over my shoulder wondering if ‘they’ would approve of my photographs. But I finally had the confidence to realize that it is ‘I’ who has the last word. Now I’m focused on the expressive qualities of my photographs, wishing to share the emotions I felt in the field with my viewers. This has led to authoring a book titled “Creating Expressive Landscape Photographs.” I’m currently looking for a publisher.

Some of the best ways I can think of to give back to the photography community is to speak to photo organizations such as yours and lead photography workshops. I invite you to check out my work and workshops at http://RalphNordstromPhotography.com.

The recording of Ralph's program is here Ralph Nordstrom-Sierra Club Camera Committee on Vimeo

Krisztina Scheeff presented The Galapagos Islands and Ecuador
August 2023

Galapagos Islands and mainland Ecuador offer incredible opportunities for natural encounters, whether you are a photographer or not. Through the lens and stories of award-winning photographer Krisztina Scheeff embark on an up-close view of these wonderful wildlife rich places. Krisztina takes you on a photographic journey of some of the special places on the Galapagos Islands: Booby traffic jams, Galapagos Turtles, land iguanas as far as you can see, cute sea lions. Then embark to the Cloud and Rain forests of Ecuador to see all the different species of Hummingbirds and more!

View the recording here: https://vimeo.com/860186970

Greg Metro presented Travel Photography: From Ordinary to Extraordinary
Thursday, April 13, 2023

Greg offered advice on preparing for photo outings with recommendations for apps and gear.

View the recording here: https://vimeo.com/822966262

Alyce Bender presented Wildlife of Sea and Sand: Destinations for Southern California Photographers.
Thursday, February 9, 2023

Loads of helpful information on gear and outfitting as well as photo technique. Alyce's thoughts on the ethics of wildlife photography are a bonus.

View the recording here: https://vimeo.com/806611284

The 2022 Winter Members Show
Thursday, October 13, 2022

Hear and see contributors Dan Gee, Josie Belfiore, Jeff Davidson, Ed Ogawa, John Fisianoti, Joyce Harlan, Velda Ruddock, and Joe Doherty. Good show.

View the recording here on Vimeo

QT Luong - Our National Monuments
Thursday, October 13, 2022

QT's website: Terra Galleria

Replay presentation here

Gary Crabbe – Enlightened Images
Thursday, February 10, 2022

Gary discussed the images he is famous for – Vineyards, and the California backroads and coast, especially his Point Reyes images, and how his images were selected for the Forever Stamps. His stories and photo tips were entertaining and informative.

Gary Crabbe’s website: https://enlightphoto.com/

Replay presentation here

2021 Member show
Thursday, December 9, 2021

Several Camera Committee members presented a selection of their best or favorite images. Some were photo essay; others were travelogue or collection on a theme. This was a non-critical, non-judgmental evening of breathtaking photography.

Thursday 12/9/2021
Lisa Langell gave us a better understanding of how to differentiate photography markets and shoot for them in order to create modern nature photography that is desirable to consumers looking to adorn their interiors.

Thursday, February 12, 2021
California wildlife photography tips, tactics, and field techniques. The 90-minute show highlighted wildlife species (bobcats, birds, black bears, others) and locations throughout the state in a 300-image show.

Replay the 90-minute show here

Robert OToole Presentation
Thursday, June 10, 2021

Multi-award winning wildlife photographer shared his work and adventures.
There is no replay for this presentation.

Photographer and Conservationist – Robert Glenn Ketchum
There is no replay for this presentation. Robert's website is a great resource.

Thursday, April 8, 2021

This presentation was on the saving of Alaska's Bristol Bay and the North American Salmon Fishing Industry from the ravages of mining development.

The 2021 Member show
Thursday, February 11, 2021
There is no replay for this presentation.

Denali: Land of ice and snow presented by Michael Chamoun
Thursday, December 10, 2020
West Los Angeles Sierra Club member Michael Chamoun scaled Denali via the West Buttress in the spring of 2018. In this meeting he shared his first-hand account of what he experienced through photos, videos, and a Q & A.

Timelapse! The art of time-lapse photography presented by Brian Leary of Light Source Journeys
Meeting October 8, 2020

Watch the presentation: here [1:29:58] How-to tutorials : here

Urban Nighttime Photography presented by Brian Leary of Light Source Journeys
Thursday, August 14, 2020

Just because the sun has set doesn’t mean you have to put that camera away! Brian Leary shows us everything from the equipment we’ll need to the techniques and what to look for to make our night photos stand out.

Watch the presentation : here [1:21:41]

A Photographer’s Guide to Iceland by New Jersey Audubon photography instructors, Becky & Phil Witt
Thursday, June 11, 2020

Iceland's scenery is shaped by intense geologic forces. Becky and Phil Witt share their photographic journey across this island nation, complete with equipment and technique tips for capturing the country's sights.

Watch the presentation here [1:21:05]

A Journey through Morocco presented by John Fisanotti
Thursday, April 9, 2020

Long-time member John Fisanotti treated us to a photo presentation of his recent trip to Morocco. The color and culture of the region make this a go-to spot on your bucket list!

Watch the presentation : here [1:38:15]

About Our Banner

After photographer Nick Brandt shared large scale B+W prints on the floor of our December 2009 meeting, he gave us a slideshow and told more amazing and moving stories of capturing portraits of a variety of East African beasts and of the adversity they faced every day. In 2009, in his book On This Earth, he wrote:

I'm not interested in creating work that is simply documentary or filled with action and drama, which has been the norm in the photography of animals in the wild. What I am interested in is showing the animals simply in the state of Being. In the state of Being before they are no longer are. Before, in the wild at least, they cease to exist. This world is under terrible threat, all of it caused by us. To me, every creature, human or nonhuman, has an equal right to live, and this feeling, this belief that every animal and I are equal, affects me every time I frame an animal in my camera. The photos are my elegy to these beautiful creatures, to this wrenchingly beautiful world that is steadily, tragically vanishing before our eyes."

His work continues. See www.NickBrandt.com