A lifelong infatuation with the ocean led to a ‘late-in-life’ career as a surf photographer. My interest in photography began in college and grew as my world travels began. When my kids started surfing, I kept buying longer lenses.

For me, surf photography is all about being at the beach, getting my toes in the sand, and enjoying the ocean. Most of my travels are to tropical surf-oriented locations, including Hawaii, Mexico, Indonesia, Australia, Northern California, etc.

Although my life revolves around the coast, the magical wildlife of Yellowstone and the Tetons keeps calling me back. Having long lenses for surfing comes in very handy when photographing wildlife. Creating travel guides for ‘Active Seniors’ is my current obsession!

I have a passion for Surf Photography so I will share some of my favorite surf photos while giving some brief tips for interpreting surf forecasts and explain how every surf spot has a unique ‘formula’.

Another passion is exploring California’s coast, so I will share photos of some lesser-known favorite spots. As a featured photographer for Island Packers, the ferry service that takes day visitors and campers to the magnificent Channel Islands, I’ll tempt you to visit and maybe even do a kayaking tour through the many sea caves on Santa Cruz Island.

Having just returned from a 6-week road trip on Australia’s East Coast, I’ll share koala encounters, buck-toothed wombats, and kangaroos bounding along my favorite beach - all in places where there are no tour buses!

Mary Madden is a retired pharmaceutical marketing executive living in Laguna Woods, CA. She grew up in Torrance in the South Bay and has lived in San Diego, suburban Philadelphia, London, UK and for 20 years in Fort Worth, TX before returning to Southern California after she retired.

She is a passionate traveler having been bit by the wanderlust bug when she was 19 and backpacked for 3 months in Europe using a Eurrail pass and staying in youth hostels and then staying in Germany for 9 months to study abroad during her junior year in college.

To date, she has been to 68 countries and 6 continents…..and counting. Traveling is her favorite way to spend money. She has become a enthusiastic photographer since she retired in 2017. She has been inspired by many of her fellow student photographers in the Saddleback Emeritus classes.

She loves landscape photography highlighting the places she visits. But her real passion is photography of people in their native lands.

Outings

Goffs, CA Night Photography

March 20 – 22, 2026, Led by Jaime Diaz

Goffs, CA is an amazing spot for Night Photography and Light Painting. You'll find an incredible assortment of old vehicles, a caboose, old mining equipment, etc., which are the ideal foreground/background for doing some amazing photography after the sun goes down.

Descanso Gardens Tulip shoot

March 26, Led by Debbie Lefever

Every year Descanso Gardens plants over 30,000 tulip bulbs for a spectacular display of color, texture, and magical bokeh. Tulip season at Descanso never disappoints. There is so much to see and photograph in a relaxed and unrushed environment.

Flower Fields of Carlsbad

April 23, led by Debbie Lefever

Step into a sea of color at the world’s largest ranunculus flower field in Carlsbad, where 80 million vibrant blooms (55 acres) stretch as far as the eye can see.   There is a Butterfly Encounter in a greenhouse filled with hundreds of live butterflies. Guests are given a Q-tip with nectar to attract and feed the butterflies. The encounter is open 10:00am to 5:30pm. The Encounter is $8 for adults

You can also find them in our events calendar.

Workshops

Planned Workshops

We are excited about the range of topics and skills to be covered in our upcoming Workshops.  In April, we will have a workshop on Smart Phone Photography.  And in May, we will have the  very popular topic of Wildlife Photography.    

Click herefor details on what is in the works.  You can also find them in our events calendar.

Monthly Casual Shooting Workshop (CSW) Series

CSWs are scheduled on the third Saturday 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. 

Our March CSW on the 28th is Shooting Low as You Can Go, led by Arpad Petrass and Craig Elferdink.  Click here for more information.  A sign-up sheet will be sent out.

One of our club activities is to support local non-profits in their fundraising events and celebrations by photographing their events. It's a great way to have fun, practice your skills,  and support your club in outreach. And it is so appreciated by the groups that we support. 

Upcoming Events:

Swallows Day Parade, March 21, 10:30 am - 2 pm

MS Bike Annual Awards, March 21, 11 am - 1 pm

MS Walk Costa Mesa, April 11, 7:30am - 1:30pm

MS Walk Carlsbad, April 25, 7:30am - 1:30pm

Our Events Calendar lists additional upcoming events.

March 2026 Challenge - "Oh My Stars"

March’s challenge is “Oh My Stars” for capturing not only astronomy, but geometry, symbolism, and the “sparkle” in the mundane. We want to see how you interpret the iconic five-pointed shape and the radiant glow of light.  Stretch your creativity! Don’t just take a picture of a star; tell a story with it. Experiment with long exposures, macro photography, or unique perspectives.

1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will be announced at the April 4th meeting and will be displayed here on this website.

Upload only one image, your best! Please submit a full-resolution image, NO watermarks or description. And, don't forget to include your name in the metadata.

Take and upload your photo between Monday, March 2nd and Friday, March  27th, midnight.

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

Challenge and Best Shot Guidelines

Before posting, read the guidelines for detailed Challenge and Best Shots images. Don't put watermarks on the Challenge entries.  Watermarks are fine on the Best Shots. 

March 2026 Best Shots

For Best Shots, post your favorite image taken on or after Monday, March 2nd, and submitted no later than midnight Friday, March  27th, 2026.

This is not a contest. Your only reward will be the fun of posting your best shot of the month and seeing others' best shots. Please limit your submissions to one shot.

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

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

The photos will be shown here on this website in April.