Tom Cadwalader won first place with his image Early Garden Light.
Denny Huber won second place with his image Water Wheel.
Bruce Hartsell
The Photography Club of Quail Creek recently announced the winners of the July photo contest, which focused on Gardens.
Tom Cadwalader won first place with his image Early Garden Light, taken at Desert Meadows Park. Tom said, “This little corner of the garden had just a few cactus blooms for interest, and I felt the dead trunks added a lot of interest to the scene as well.” He said he was “careful to keep as much of the bright background out” as he could. He took the photo with a Leica SL3, 70 mm, f/11, 1/16 sec ISO 100, no flash.
Tom offered comments about his photographic process, including knowing how to control the three aspects of the exposure triangle and when to change them. He said he also tries to take more than one image with different settings and to make variations in composition so that he has choices later. But he said the most critical element of good photos is “to be in the right place at the right time … with a camera ready to take the picture.”
Denny Huber won second place with his image Water Wheel, which he said is actually a self-portrait in a garden, since the window captured his reflection. Denny captured the image in Sequim, Wash., while touring a farm as part of the Lavender Festival. He said, “I saw this tiny garden by a shed with a water wheel,” and did not realize he had taken his own picture until he saw the photo on his computer at home. He used a Canon EOS 90D, 22 mm, f/3.5, 1/3200 sec, ISO 640, no flash.
Shari Rodgers won third place with her image Bellagio Garden, taken at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, which she said is “amazing and a must visit.” She said the image was hard to get with so many people around, “but patience gave me an opportunity!” She used an Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, 1.54 mm, f/2.4, 1/100 sec, ISO, 50, no flash.
The Photography Club of Quail Creek has a monthly photo contest in which members may submit up to three photos taken within the last 13 months and with minimal post-processing. A panel of judges from across the country selects the winners. The club also has a quarterly challenge in which members may submit up to three photos taken within the quarter. Extensive post-processing is allowed, and winners are selected by club member voting.
The club meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m., usually at the Kino Conference Center, Mesquite Room. The club also schedules episodic photo field trips and educational meetings. Consult the club’s website at www.pcqc.org as well as the weekday HOA What’s Happening for additional information. Membership is open to all Quail Creek residents.