Bruce Hartsell
Tom Cadwalader won first place in the Photography Club’s March photo contest with Brooks Lake, captured during the 2024 Wind River Photographers retreat in the Grand Tetons National Forest area of Wyoming. Tom said, “The lake had mountains on nearly all sides, and the rising sun took a little extra time to clear the eastern mountains and … begin casting light on the far shoreline area.” He said he used a tripod and “a moderate telephoto lens to both bring the far shoreline closer and compress the scene some and 1.3 stops of negative exposure to protect the brighter parts of the scene.” Leica SL3, 112 mm, f/8, 1/100 sec, ISO 100, Exp -1.3. The raw image was processed in Adobe Camera Raw.
Mark Cohen won second place with Red Rock Canyon, taken during a flight over the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in the Mojave Desert where Mark had previously camped and which is a popular filming area. He said, “I always get a window seat for daylight flights and keep my iPhone well charged ‘just in case’ of shots like this.” iPhone 5.7 mm, f/1.5, 1/3200 sec, ISO 50.
Jim Burkstrand won third place with Canyon de Chelly, one of his favorite places, where he and his wife stopped on the way home from Minnesota last August. Jim said, “We arrived late in the day, so I decided to take the upper South Rim Drive out to the end and back, stopping at the various overlooks to take photos. At the Sliding House Overlook, just east of the White House, we came upon this structure. It was 4:30 p.m., and the sun was low in the sky, producing a beautiful interplay of dark shadows and lit structures.” Jim said he post-processed in Lightroom, with simple cropping, a big boost in contrast, some texture and clarity, and then converted to black and white. Canon EOS 90D, 66 mm, f/11, 1/160 sec, ISO 100.
The theme of the March contest was landscapes. The Photography Club of Quail Creek holds 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 6:30 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 www.pcqc.org as well as the weekday HOA What’s Happening for additional information. Membership is open to all Quail Creek residents.