New Membership Policy Update 5/14/10:  Membership in the Photo Group is now open again for new members. New membership applications are available on this website. Members may bring guests to club meetings at this time. Visitors and guests are asked to pay $3 per meeting. We look forward to making new friends and welcoming new members to our club once again!

The VENTURA COUNTY FAIR is coming August 5-16, 2010. Amateur photographers may enter up to 8 pictures this year and there are 20 different classes in the Color Division and 10 classes in the Black and White Division. Prizes range from $20 for 1st place to $10 for 3rd place. Complete the entry form (it's free to enter) and bring your pictures to our cub meeting on Wednesday, July 7th. Pat Baumstark will transport your entries to the Fair for you!

Download the rules and entry form by clicking the link on this page in the Newsletters section above. Web site for the Fair is www.VenturaCountyFair.org Last year members of the Photo Group won over 30 awards at the Fair! Join us this year in entering and visiting the Fair's wonderful photographic exhibits. 

Flickr comes to the Photo Group! If you are a member of the Photo Group, we invite you to join us online on Flickr to post your pictures and join in the discussions. Here is the LINK to the Photo Group page.

Here is a pdf article by Connie Wade that shows you how to join Flickr. You can also find everything you need on the Flickr site.

Our Vice-Chair, Connie Wade, is offering personal assistance in signing up for and learning to use the T.O. Photo Group Flickr site.  Email her for help at PhotoViceChair@topcc.org 

September 25th - 11am - 3pm - Summer Festival and Picnic - All members of the TOPCC Photo Group, Computer Club and Video Makers Club and their families are welcome. Please rsvp to picnic@topcc.org

Oak Canyon Community Park - 5600 Hollytree Drive, Oak Park, CA 91377

New Policy Update 5/14/10: Membership in the Photo Group is now open again for new members. New membership applications are available on this website. Members may bring guests to club meetings at this time. Visitors and guests are asked to pay $3 per meeting. 

August 2nd - Monday - Photo Group Meeting. Since next month's Print Contest's Assigned topic is High-Key, Hutch Hutchison will demonstrate the what and how of "High Key" photography - along with a hi-key demo by Nancy Lehrer in Elements. Next,  Members will share their best pictures in the Digital Composition Challenge - the Composition theme will be "Eye Lines." Our professional photographer judge will be Patricia Mathis. This is your chance to have your pictures professionally critiqued to learn what makes 'em good or how to do it better next time!

Members should email 1 or 2 digital entries for the Digital Challenge 2 days before the meeting by 6pm to PhotoEntries@topcc.org. Please indicate which picture is your primary and secondary entry for critiquing with #1 and #2 after your name. Read the Digital Composition Challenge Contest Rules. See the article below on how to resize and rename your pictures for the Digital Composition Challenge. Click here to see last month's Digital Challenge Merit Winners.

 (Photo by Randi Seigel)

September 1st - WEDNESDAY - Photo Group Meeting.  Our agenda includes another enlightening Composition lesson by Nancy Lehrer in preparation for October's Digital Composition Challenge on the topic of Rule of Thirds.

We'll hold our members-only Print Contest with a wonderful new judge, Donna Granada - you won't want to miss hearing her enlightening critiques so get your two pictures in early!

The Assigned Topic for the Print Contest is "Hi-Key." Assigned topic entries must have been taken after the topic was announced at the prior Print Contest, and have limited Photoshopping (no composites or digital art). The Open Category of the Print Contest has no limits on date, topic or Photoshopping (digital art is welcome). For a professional critique, email a digital file of your print entries by 6pm two days before the meeting to PhotoEntries@topcc.org. Please name your files  with #1 and #2 after your name to indicate your preferred image for critiquing. Please read the Contest Rules for the Print Contest. See last month's Print Contest winners.

(Photo by Ray Laser)

SPECIAL EVENING WORKSHOPS - for TOPCC Photo Group club members only. Workshops are first available for sign-up at our monthly club meethings, then via email to workshops@topcc.org. Click here for a membership application. Workshops are held either at the Goebel Center next to the Library on Janss Rd. or at the Library as noted in the description. Workshops usually start at 6:30pm unless otherwise indicated. Workshops are approximately 2 hours in length.

Check Out our Fantastic Upcoming Workshops in 2010

(August is a vacation month for Workshops)

1. Basic Digital Camera Skills - September 14th 2010 (3 evenings) - Mike Sugar (sign-up at club meetings)

2. Slideshows - Sept 13 - How to Create Photo Slideshows - by Hutch Hutchison and Connie Wade

3. Elements Basics - by Mark Reden - Sept 2010 - An entry level workshop in Photoshop Elements

NOTE - Workshops are for members only. Admittance to our Photo Group workshops that are space-limited at the Goebel Center will be by TICKET ONLY! Members who have enrolled (and are not on the wait-list) will receive an ADMISSION TICKET via email and no one will be admitted without their admission ticket. Workshops held at the T.O. Library are not space limited but are for members only.

Basic Digital Camera Skills - September 2010 - Mike Sugar (sign-up at club meetings)

Basic Digital Camera Class – September 2010 ~ For Photo Group members only. Mike Sugar will present his three-session series, a Basic Digital Camera Class, for Photo Group members only. The 3 sessions will cover the following topics: 1) the first class will be a general introduction to digital photography and basic photography concepts, with information on camera features, differences between digital and film cameras, and information about storage devices. If time permits, there will be a demonstration on how to download images from memory cards to a computer. 2) the 2nd class will deal with specific issues and questions about your current digital cameras and learn how to use various features. Additional instructors will be present to assist you with your specific questions. 3) the last class content will be determined by class members, based on their desire to learn more about specific issues they identify.

It is important that we all have a basic foundation, as we will build upon it through out the class series. That is why the first class is so important. This class series must be taken in sequence. If you have any questions, please call Mike Sugar, the instructor, at (805) 522-1275. Classes are held at the Goebel Center and start at 6:15pm.

 Slideshows - How to Create and Show Your Pictures - Sept 13 - How to Create Photo Slideshows - by Hutch Hutchison and Connie Wade

Learn how to create cool slide shows with your digital pictures. Creating stunning slide shows has never been easier! Add a custom soundtrack, custom text, select stunning transition effects, and burn the slideshow onto a DVD disc. We will demonstrate 3 different programs to create your custom slideshow: FastStone (free download), Photoshop Elements and Animoto.

For Questions or to RSVP: FieldTrips@topcc.org and provide your name, cell phone and home phone to assure being contacted.   

Jerry Koenig                              Milt Morris

H-805-526-9978                       H-818-772-7770 H

C-818-519-1083                       C-818-424-3113

Steve Torres is our liaison with the T. O. Library. That means he is the man who gets up extra early every three months to wait in line at the crack of dawn to make our club's reservations for the use of the Grant Brimhall auditorium in the library. Without Steve's efforts we simply wouldn't be meeting in such a wonderful location as the Thousand Oaks Library. Be sure to give Steve a pat on the back for his dedication on behalf of our Photo Group.

Diane Kay does a great job coordinating our Print Contest every other month with her crew of volunteers. This also means finding the excellent professional photographers who critique our pictures and judge our contests including the Digital Composition Challenge. Diane travels widely for her job and uses the opportunities to shoot exotic scenes around the world in her spare time, which isn't much of course. Be sure to give Diane and her wonderful crew of volunteers a big thank you the next time you see them running our print contest.

Mike Sugar is our fantastic instructor for the Basic Digital Camera Class. He has taught many of our current club members the essentials of photography and digital cameras in his 3-night series classes which he kindly repeats three times a year for new members. Mike is a distinguished photographer in his own right and has won many awards in our monthly club print contests and digital challenges. We thank Mike again and again for all he has contributed to our club members with his excellent and very popular class!

Jerry Koenig and Milt Morris have been organizing our fantastic fieldtrips for some time now, and the attendance keeps going up! Many experienced club photographers participate in our fieldtrips every month and they are happy to help our beginning and intermediate members take better pictures. Just ask for help and it's yours! Jerry and Milt help insure a successful fieldtrip experience by researching each location carefully and traveling there early to scout out the location for important details to make the trip a great photographic experience. Be sure to give them both a hug on your next trip with our club!

Ray Laser is our Workshop Wizard. He produces high quality workshops for our Photo Group members that are so successful because of the extra organizational efforts of this fantastic volunteer! Ray goes the extra mile to make sure participants are well prepared and the workshop is well organized and jam-packed with useful information. Ray's workshop vitae includes Photoshop, Elements, Intermediate DSLR, Mounting Your Photos, How to Shoot Dogs, Color Management, Lightroom, and way more than we have room to list. Be sure to hug this dedicated Photo Group volunteer whenever you get the chance!

Mark Reden is our Digital Image Wizard - the guy behind the curtain who receives your digital image files and assembles our monthly slide show of contest entries for the professional critique. Mark has a wealth of computer knowledge and he teaches a Photoshop Elements Workshop for beginners every quarter. Mark is a very kind and friendly guy who always wears a smile. Give him a hug and thank you when you see him at our meetings for his excellent work as a volunteer!

Sheldon Hoffman has been making and managing our club name tags and badges for more years than he can remember! He does a great job helping us all to remember names, not an easy task when there are over 100 people at each club meeting! Be sure to say thanks to Sheldon for the great job he does at the next meeting!

Bob Peltzman has had 3 jobs in less than a year, and does them all with remarkable effeciency and a friendly smile to boot! He is now our Club Secretary and takes minutes at the Steering Committee meetings. You'll still find him in the back of the room at club meetings where he welcomes visitors. He has also handled Publicity for the club, and excelled in bringing us many new members.

Judy Forman is our Digital Newsletter Editor. She publishes our fantastic Photo Group newsletter every month and writes those excellent interview articles that tell us so much  about our club members and Steering Committee members. Judy's newsletter is read by over 200 people every month who want to know the most recent club happenings and upcoming events for photographers in our club.

Meeting Locations: See Calendar above for specific locations, dates and times

Club Meetings at 6:00pm & Select Workshops: Thousand Oaks (Grant Brimhall) Library 1401 East Janss Road; Thousand Oaks, California; (805) 449-2660

Most Workshops & Fieldtrips (Fieldtrips meet in parking lot): Goebel Senior Center
1385 E. Janss Rd.; Thousand Oaks, California; (805) 381-2744 

History ~ The Thousand Oaks Personal Computer Club is proud of our digital Photo Group. The Photo Group's first meeting was held on Saturday, April 28, 2001. About 20 people attended. The group has grown over the years and now there are anywhere from 80 to 120 people attending our monthly meetings. We welcome all levels of amateur photographers, from beginners to advanced, from Ventura County and beyond.

Mission ~ The mission of the Photo Group is to create a supportive club environment where we socialize and help members enjoy the wonderful art of photography while learning the essential skills needed to advance as digital photographers.

Meetings ~ Click here to see the Calendar for meeting dates. The monthly meetings feature Photography Demonstrations, Photoshop and Photoshop Elements lessons, and Photo Contests to help our members learn more about composition and how to take better pictures. Separate Workshops are also held to teach members digital camera skills, photography techniques, color management & printing techniques and Photoshop lessons.

Membership - To join the TOPCC Photo Group, click here for a membership application. Complete it and send it to our club Treasurer, Chuck Johnson, at the address listed on the application. Dues are $30 per year for an individual, and $40 per year for a family. Joining our club entitles members to attend club meetings, enter all photography contests, attend field trips, and participate in all the special Evening Workshops. Members of the TOPCC Photo Group may also attend the TOPCC Computer and Video clubs.

Contests ~ Our Photo Group Club hosts a Print Contest and a Digital Composition Challenge on alternate months for members only. Click on this link to see the recent Print Contest winners and the Digital Compostion Challenge winners. For more information, see the panel on the right and the Contest Rules page. 

Photoshop Tutorials ~ Click on this link to see our Photoshop Video Tutorials created by Darrel Priebe.