Bruce Hartsell
The Photography Club of Quail Creek announced the winners of the December photo contest, which was open to any subject of the photographer’s choice.
Tom Cadwalader won first place with Saguaro Sunrise, which was actually a sunset scene. While doing a late evening golf cart ride looking for interesting things to photograph, he ended up in front of a cactus with the setting sun behind it. To help with the sunburst, he stopped the aperture down to f/16 and positioned the camera so that the sun would be peaking around an edge of the cactus. He also underexposed a stop and 2/3 “to keep from blowing out too much from around the sun.” Leica SL3, 24 mm, f/16, 160 sec, ISO 200, exp -1.6.
Lon Richardson won second place with Serenity on the Strand, taken while visiting his 14-month-old grandson and family in Redondo Beach. While walking the Strand, a paved multi-purpose path, and dodging other walkers, runners, skaters, and cyclists, he spotted “this interesting oasis, framed on the beach between sunbathers and volleyball matches.” He said he managed one shot with his phone with default settings and minimal zoom to fill the frame, “simply the right place at the right time with my eyes open.” Samsung S22 mm, f/2.4, 1/1505 sec, ISO25.
John Tubbs won third place with Mexican Dancers, taken at the annual fiesta next to the mission in Tumacácori where entertainers perform. John said, “the folklórico dancers are exuberant and talented, and the women are dressed in wildly colorful ribbon dresses, making for excellent photographic subjects. Many of the dances feature multiple people, but I wanted to get a shot of just two, and this resulted.” Leica SL2, 74 mm, f/8, 1/6400 sec, ISO 1600.
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 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 at www.pcqc.org as well as the weekday HOA What’s Happening for additional information. Membership is open to all Quail Creek residents.