Outings

Astrophotography, Alabama Hills and Trona Pinnacles (?)

April 16-20, led by Scott Stetzer

The milky way is making its monthly appearance and for this month of April, lets go shoot the arches with the MW - Mobius Arch, Boot Arch, Cyclops Arch

Then we have the option to migrate over to Trona to shoot the Pinnacles Shooting can be for the Milkyway center and/or a full MW arch panorama Come for one night, several nights or the whole trip… whatever works for you.  Click here for more information.

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.

World of Orchids at San Diego Botanic Garden

May 20, 9:00 am. Led by Debbie Lefever

The Conservatory will be transformed into mossy understories, tropical canopies, showcasing hundreds of striking specimens, locally bred hybrids, and rare species. Every orchid imaginable is on close-up display. 

Details Location: San Diego Botanic Garden 300 Quail Gardens Dr., Encinitas, CA 92024 Meet at the entrance to Dickinson Family Education Conservatory (near the entrance) at 9:00 am. Costs: Adult $20 - Senior (60+) $18 - This special exhibition requires an additional charge of $7. Online reservations are strongly recommended as it expedites your entry into the Garden. Parking is free.

Equipment: Macro or zoom (100-500 lenses) work great. It can get a bit crowded – tripods are not allowed. Dress in layers. Sun protection. Sturdy shoes to walk on uneven surfaces. Some hills. Bring a hat and water and snacks.

You can also find them in our events calendar.

Workshops

Planned Workshops

In April, we will have a workshop on Smart Phone Photography.  This is a hands on, beginner friendly workshop.  You will learn the full artistic potential of the ubiquitous smart phone, either Android or iPhone.   And in May, we will have the  very popular topic of Wildlife Photography.  Bob Greenberg will provide tips and tricks for capturing unforgettable wildlife images.

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 April CSW on the 18th is "Textures"  led by Debbie Lefever.    Click here for more information.  A sign-up sheet has been sent out.  Be sure to check your spam folder in case you haven't seen the email.

One of our important 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. 

In March we covered six Outreach events, from awards ceremonies, to luncheons, and walks/runs culminating in the Swallows Day parade in San Juan Capistrano.  That parade event involved 12 photographers/ videographers resulting in over 1000 images and videos.  One of our busiest events and months!  See all Outreach images here.

Upcoming Events:

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

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

Parkinson's Bike/Walk, Irvine, April 25, 6:30am - 2:30pm

Our Events Calendar lists additional upcoming events.

April 2026 Challenge - "The Deluge"

This month, we’re moving beyond the umbrella. We’re challenging you to capture the energy, texture, and motion of falling water - without being literal. Forget the storm; find the "shower" in the details.  Click here for more information.

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 Saturday, March 28 and Friday, May 1st, 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. 

April 2026 Best Shots

For Best Shots, post your favorite image taken on or after Saturday, March 28, and submitted no later than midnight Friday, May 1st, 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.