SCPC Summer Picnic — Let’s Hang Out!

Mark your calendar — Saturday, July 25, from 12–4 PM we’re getting together for our summer picnic at William Mason Park, Shelter #5 in Irvine.
Address: 18712 University Dr, Irvine 92612
Heads‑up: the park charges a $5 entrance fee if you don’t have a pass.

This picnic is for all members plus one guest, so bring someone you enjoy spending time with.

🍔 What’s Happening
SCPC will be grilling up burgers (cheese or no cheese) with all the fixings, keeping the music going, and handing out cold bottled water. We’ll also have a bunch of fun, low‑effort games with prizes — nothing strenuous, just good laughs. Most importantly, it’s a great chance to relax outdoors, enjoy the scenery, and meet members you may not have chatted with yet.

📝 Sign-Up Info
Please sign up ASAP using the link in Becky’s email so we know how many burgers to prep. On the sign‑up sheet, check the tabs on the lower left:
* Attendance
* Dish sign‑up
* Volunteer sign‑up
Jump into one (or more!) so we can keep things running smoothly.

⏰ Arrival Times for Helpers
Set‑up crew: arrive at 11:00 AM
Tables / pop‑up tents: arrive at 11:30 AM
Coolers with ice: arrive by noon

🪑 What to Bring
Your own non‑alcoholic drink
A camping chair — park seating is limited

July Photo Challenge: The All-American Classic

Celebrating 250 Years of the American Spirit

For this July's challenge, we're celebrating a historic milestone—the United States' 250th birthday.

To honor the occasion, we're keeping the theme wide open and asking one simple question:

What does America look like through your lens?

Use your creativity to capture the heart, soul, traditions, character, or nostalgia of America as you see it. There are no rigid subcategories this month. Whether your style leans toward candid human moments, family traditions, community celebrations, road trips, landscapes, small-town charm, urban life, iconic symbols, or everyday scenes, all interpretations are welcome.

The goal isn't to define America with a single image, but to share your unique perspective on what makes it meaningful, memorable, or distinctly American.

Think beyond the obvious. America can be found in grand celebrations and iconic landmarks, but also in quiet moments, local traditions, neighborhood gatherings, favorite diners, open roads, and everyday life.

1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will be announced at the August 5th meeting, and will be displayed on the SCPC website. Upload only one image, your best! Please summit a full resolution image (5,000 on the long side) with NO watermarks or description. And don’t forget to include your name in the metadata. 

If shot with a SmartPhone, please email your name and description of the photo to scpc-membership@googlegroups.com before the submission deadline.

Take and upload your photo between Saturday, June 27 and Friday, July 31, midnight. Click here to review the challenge rules.

Entry links are in the newsletter and will be sent again mid-month.

Challenge Rules
Before posting, read the rules for detailed Challenge and Best Shots images. Do not put watermarks on the Challenge entries but do include your name in the meta data.

It's Fair Competition Season!  Check out the galleries of submissions to the Orange County Fair and San Diego Fair competitions. 

These are among the most prestigious and competitive juried photography exhibitions in the country, and our members have historically earned many ribbons and awards. Our galleries showcase all member entries, both submitted and accepted images. Once judging is complete, we will feature the ribbon-winning images.

We are planning a club outing to the OC Fair and will share details as they become available. 

See all Exhibition galleries here.

Outings

Two possible outings in September that are in need of a leader.  Drop a line to Scott Stetzer if you have an interest in leading.

CSU / San Bernardino Pow Wow Sept 18th - 20th - San Bernardino San Manuel Pow Wow is a three-day celebration free to the public and features Southern California traditional bird singers and dancers, as well as North American and Canadian dancers and drum singing groups. https://www.socalpowwow.com/

Waste Land: A Mad Max desert event (ala Burning Man) Sept 30th - Oct 4th - in the Mojave Desert A desert festival taking influence from the iconic “Mad Max” films, while incorporating other pieces of post-apocalyptic pop culture now including the popular Fallout theme. https://www.wastelandweekend.com/

You can find outings information on our events calendar.

Workshops

Wednesday, July 29, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Photobook Workshop at the Duck Club

Join Mary Madden for a hands‑on workshop exploring how to design and produce beautiful hard‑bound photobooks. Mary will walk you through the complete process—from organizing and preparing images in Lightroom, to refining layouts and graphics in Photoshop, to selecting and ordering finished books through popular commercial photo labs.

Whether you want to create a personal keepsake, a professional portfolio piece, or a gift‑worthy album, this session will give you practical techniques, workflow tips, and creative ideas to bring your photobook projects to life.

August 18, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Library Module of LightRoom at the Duck Club

Manny Olmedo will present a detailed review of the Library Module in Lightroom Classic, with particular emphasis on effective Catalog Management and the use of Publishing Services.

This workshop will cover best practices for organizing image collections, maintaining a healthy and efficient catalog, and implementing reliable backup and workflow strategies. In addition, Manny will demonstrate how Publishing Services can streamline the process of exporting and updating images across various platforms. 

Look at our events calendarfor all upcoming workshops.

Monthly Casual Shooting Workshop (CSW) Series

CSWs are scheduled on the third week of the month to work on a specific shooting method.  The leader will select the location and will post links that illustrate the shooting method. Afterward, we'll get together at a local coffee shop or another place to share images and experiences. 

Light Painting CSW
When: Friday, August 7, 6:30 pm Led by: Dolores Lopez
What to Bring: Camera, tripod, and remote shutter release
What Participants Will Learn: What light painting is, basic camera settings, simple light painting techniques, and how to create fun images with handheld light sources.
Light painting equipment will be provided.

One of our club’s most valued community activities is providing photographic support for local non‑profit organizations during their fundraising events and celebrations. Members volunteering their time and skills help these groups document their milestones, promote their missions, and elevate the impact of their events.

This work not only strengthens our club’s outreach efforts, but also offers members a fun and meaningful way to practice event photography in real‑world settings. The organizations we assist are consistently grateful for the images we create, and our contributions make a genuine difference in their ability to share their stories.

See all Outreach images here.

Our Calendar lists additional upcoming Outreach events.

Best Shots Rules

Submit your best shot - any subject, any style - but only one shot! This is your opportunity to showcase your current work and share what you’re exploring as a photographer.

Take and upload your best shot between Saturday, June 27th and Friday, July 31st, midnight.

This is not a contest. Your reward will be the fun of posting your best shot of the month and seeing others' best shots. 

Watermarks are encouraged for Best Shots. It makes it easy to identify the photographer and give them proper credit.

You'll find the upload links in the monthly newsletter, and they will be sent again mid-month before the challenge ends.

Before posting, read the rules for detailed Challenge and Best Shots images. 

Our sponsors now have a page of their own.  Click here.