Meet-ups, FIELD TRIPS, photo ops
& workshops
The Napa Valley Photographic Society offers field trips and workshops to many locations. Mode concentrations such as flash, HDR, panoramic, sports, macro, night photography and Astrophotography can be explored. Whether it's morning, midday or night, our base location, the Napa Valley, is one of the most breathtaking regions in the world, with its vineyards, wineries, foothill-size mountains, gardens, fall colors, etc. To the west is the Pacific Ocean and to the east are the Sierra Nevada mountains. Join us and visit some of these beautiful locales, where photographers can learn from one another and do what they love ... shoot, shoot, shoot!
For current and future events volunteers are needed to act as point persons and to ensure all are accounted for .
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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NVPS president Phil Venable alerts members that on Thursday, Feb 9, at 2 p.m. those who want to see the Jeff and Susan Bridges photo exhibit at the Napa Valley Museum can meet there. The group will be hosted by Jeff Rodgers, Deputy Director of the museum, who will give a tour of the exhibit and talk about the work. After the museum tour Phil will be going downtown to grab dinner and shoot the Napa Light Art Show. Anyone who wishes to, is welcome to join him.
Because this not a field trip liability forms are not necessary as there is no formal agenda.
For new shooters Phil will be available for questions, tips, and tech assistance. Members are welcome to hang out and Phil will explain how he is capturing the shots as he goes. Or members can their own way and enjoy the sights.
Current museum regular admission:
Museum members: entry is free
Non-Member Adults (18 to under 65): $15
Non-Members Seniors (65+): $10
Youth (6–17): $5
Children (5 and under): Free
Admission is free for residents of the California Veterans Home and Active Duty Military
Audio tours and add-ons at additional cost
Because this not a field trip liability forms are not necessary as there is no formal agenda.
For new shooters Phil will be available for questions, tips, and tech assistance. Members are welcome to hang out and Phil will explain how he is capturing the shots as he goes. Or members can their own way and enjoy the sights.
Current museum regular admission:
Museum members: entry is free
Non-Member Adults (18 to under 65): $15
Non-Members Seniors (65+): $10
Youth (6–17): $5
Children (5 and under): Free
Admission is free for residents of the California Veterans Home and Active Duty Military
Audio tours and add-ons at additional cost
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Napa Lighted Art Festival returns
Lighted domes in Veterans Park, February 2022 -- Carolyn Younger photo
Napa's Lighted Art Festival returns Jan. 21 through Feb. 19.
The festival -- a celebration of creative arts, technology and lights -- supports innovative techniques using light and light technologies. The five-week event is free and will feature 10 lighted art sculptures placed at various locations in Napa's downtown area.
Show hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Monday though Thursday, and 6 to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Projection artwork will be shown on the first nine nights only.
Visit DoNapa.com/lights for details.
The festival -- a celebration of creative arts, technology and lights -- supports innovative techniques using light and light technologies. The five-week event is free and will feature 10 lighted art sculptures placed at various locations in Napa's downtown area.
Show hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Monday though Thursday, and 6 to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Projection artwork will be shown on the first nine nights only.
Visit DoNapa.com/lights for details.
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PHOTO FINALE 2023
An Open Invitation Photography Exhibition
An Open Invitation Photography Exhibition
NVPS member MJ Schaer has announced the first annual Photo Finale 2023, an open invitation photography exhibition in alliance with the 2023 Napa Valley Mustard Celebration, will premiere March 4, 2023, at Jessup Cellars Gallery in Yountville and continue through March 31.
Photo Finale 2023 will exhibit photographic art capturing the beauty of nature’s winter mustard season in the Napa Valley while showcasing the talents of photographers of all ages and expertise from the Napa Valley and beyond.
The exhibition will celebrate nature’s “Yellow Gold” beauty of the winter mustard bloom that blankets Napa Valley landscapes and vineyards from December through March. All submissions must depict some aspect of mustard in the Napa Valley.
This exhibition is open to two age groups: adult, 18 years old and older, and youth, 17 years old and younger.
There are four subject categories:
Landscape, People/Pets, Innovative and Food and Wine, all of which must exhibit Napa mustard plants in bloom.
Entry submissions open on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022,
Entry deadline is Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023
To apply, visit: https://photo-finale2023-napavalleymustardcelebration.artcall.org
Details:
website: http://www.photo-finale.com
email: photofinale.nvmc@gmail.com
Text/phone: (707) 225-1565
Photo Finale 2023 will exhibit photographic art capturing the beauty of nature’s winter mustard season in the Napa Valley while showcasing the talents of photographers of all ages and expertise from the Napa Valley and beyond.
The exhibition will celebrate nature’s “Yellow Gold” beauty of the winter mustard bloom that blankets Napa Valley landscapes and vineyards from December through March. All submissions must depict some aspect of mustard in the Napa Valley.
This exhibition is open to two age groups: adult, 18 years old and older, and youth, 17 years old and younger.
There are four subject categories:
Landscape, People/Pets, Innovative and Food and Wine, all of which must exhibit Napa mustard plants in bloom.
Entry submissions open on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022,
Entry deadline is Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023
To apply, visit: https://photo-finale2023-napavalleymustardcelebration.artcall.org
Details:
website: http://www.photo-finale.com
email: photofinale.nvmc@gmail.com
Text/phone: (707) 225-1565
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2023 MEET-UPS, FIELD TRIPS
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Recent field trips, meet-ups, photo ops
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Late February or early March 2023
Leader: Karen Noyes
Sonoma Botanical Gardens
12841 Sonoma Hwy
Glen Ellen
Date and time TBA
The 67-acre Sonoma Botanical Garden is a private nonprofit education and research botanical garden, home to one of the largest collections of scientifically documented, wild-source Asian plants in North America and Europe.
March 2023:
Leader: Joe Sinclair
Ferry Building, streets of SF
Date and time TBA
Great opportunity for street photography— and to ride the ferry across the bay.
April 2023:
Leader: TBA
Vernal Pools, Jepson Prairie Preserve
Date and time TBA
The preserve 10 miles south of Dixon is the premier—and one of the few remaining—vernal pool habitats and native bunchgrass prairies in California. Meet-up date depends on time of wildflower bloom.
Leader: Karen Noyes
Sonoma Botanical Gardens
12841 Sonoma Hwy
Glen Ellen
Date and time TBA
The 67-acre Sonoma Botanical Garden is a private nonprofit education and research botanical garden, home to one of the largest collections of scientifically documented, wild-source Asian plants in North America and Europe.
March 2023:
Leader: Joe Sinclair
Ferry Building, streets of SF
Date and time TBA
Great opportunity for street photography— and to ride the ferry across the bay.
April 2023:
Leader: TBA
Vernal Pools, Jepson Prairie Preserve
Date and time TBA
The preserve 10 miles south of Dixon is the premier—and one of the few remaining—vernal pool habitats and native bunchgrass prairies in California. Meet-up date depends on time of wildflower bloom.
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2022 WORKSHOPS
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Silverman Photography Workshops
WAVES, WOODS AND WILDLIFE
Professional photographers Susan and Neil Silverman are offering a small, IN PERSON, photo workshop along the dramatic Sonoma-Mendocino Coast, a region known for its variety of beautiful photo opportunities.
All cameras (cell phones, too) are welcome; as well as all levels of experience. Just bring good walking shoes, warm clothes and your enthusiasm.
The workshop runs from 6 p.m. Jan.12 to 6 p.m. Jan. 14, 2023.
The Silvermans are Covid conscious, careful and expect all participants to have been vaccinated.
Check the website for more specific details and information on how to register:
www.silvermansphotography.com
Still have questions or need additional information, contact them at:
https://silvermansphotography.com
All cameras (cell phones, too) are welcome; as well as all levels of experience. Just bring good walking shoes, warm clothes and your enthusiasm.
The workshop runs from 6 p.m. Jan.12 to 6 p.m. Jan. 14, 2023.
The Silvermans are Covid conscious, careful and expect all participants to have been vaccinated.
Check the website for more specific details and information on how to register:
www.silvermansphotography.com
Still have questions or need additional information, contact them at:
https://silvermansphotography.com
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Jeff Sullivan Photography
A recent presenter Jeff Sullivan and his business partner, Lori Hibbett, offer workshops through their Great Basin School of Photography.
To learn more about scheduled workshops visit https://www.jeffsullivanphotography.com/blog/about-us/
To see examples of Sullivan's work visit
https://www.jeffsullivanphotography.com/
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PHOTO OPS
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As we adjust to living in this world where Covid and other viruses continue to inform our way of living, a simple walk through the neighborhood seems a remarkable freedom. So why not take advantage of the season -- rain or shine -- and use your camera to capture nature as it brings changes to gardens and street trees you pass during your walk. The only criteria is to be considerate and not intrude on your neighbors' privacy. These unexpected images, captured in the spur of the moment, are considered Photo Ops and anyone can participate. Members with photo op images to share should contact Carolyn Younger. They will be posted in a new feature: A Walk Through the Neighborhood. (See below) Send your collection of images with your name and the neighborhood in the subject line. Images should be formatted for the web (72 ppi and no more than 600 pixels on the long side) and emailed to Carolyn Younger. (Check your club roster for the email address.)
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iPhone Opportunities
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Lizard escape
A cell phone is something most of us always have with us, so if you haven't thought to bring your usual DSL that doesn't mean you can't photograph something that catches your photographer's eye. If you have found something -- an insect, a flower, a moment you've captured with your mobile phone's camera -- send it to Carolyn Younger along with a brief description of where the image was taken.
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Van Winden's July 2021 dahlia competition
and show
and show
Encouraged by an announcement sent out by NVPS president Gary Sampson (a landscape designer and longtime Van Winden's Garden Center mainstay) Carolyn Younger stopped by with her iPhone and an Olympus PEN F camera to take in the colorful display of locally grown dahlias at the Van Winden's show and was fortunate to capture one of the prize winners in the colorful array.
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A walk through the neighborhoodS
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Jean Timken out for a stroll
New NVPS member Jean Timken and her camera have been exploring different neighborhoods during the pandemic. Here are a few of their discoveries.
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Backyard Birds
Nancy Hernandez, getting to know her new home and the world around it this spring, learned that her yard is a haven for numerous 'birds' and other winged critters.
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The allure of pumpkin spice cookie crumbs
In the first month of 2021, opportunistic -- and sharp-eyed gulls -- caught sight of a small cookie crumb on a railing along the Napa River walk. The result was a lively tussle. With the help of Betty Malmgren, who portioned out crumbs, Carolyn Younger used her iPhone to capture the antics of the hungry gulls.
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Al fresco dining on Pearl Street
Just before sunset on two mid-summer evenings, Betty Malmgren and Carolyn Younger stopped near the Pearl Street bridge over the Napa River, hoping to come across the resident beaver family. Below are some of the images from the visits to the watery neighborhood as the family was preparing and enjoying an evening meal.
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The New Normal: Nancy Hernandez documents
the rhythms of life during the pandemic
the rhythms of life during the pandemic
While walking with her dog, Nancy Hernandez came across some neighborhood children and their mother working on a special rock painting project. She was impressed and inspired to photograph their efforts.
Nancy also stopped at the Big Ranch Road produce stand and nursery, based on a suggestion from fellow NVPS photographer, Ann Seronello. "I was a little worried with the virus and all," Nancy admits, "but Ann said it was safe and set up for social distancing. I was very pleased to see she was right. "
Nancy also took her camera with her on a trip to Trader Joe's where customers follow the six-foot distancing rule as they wait their turn to enter the store.
Nancy also took her camera with her on a trip to Trader Joe's where customers follow the six-foot distancing rule as they wait their turn to enter the store.
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'Captured' by Judd Howell in Kennedy Park
One bright Friday afternoon Judd and Carol Howell were taking a walk through Kennedy Park when he came across a Swallowtail butterfly executing a graceful ballet over a stand of wild radish -- off came the camera lens cap. He also spotted a White-crowned sparrow, a seed clamped tightly in its beak, resting briefly on a wire fence. All in all, he said, it was "just fun just to be out and about."
Swallowtail butterfly -- Judd Howell
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White -crowned sparrow -- Judd Howell
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Angie Johnson shares a venerable collection of rhizomes
On a morning walk through a Yountville neighborhood, Angie Johnson was captivated by this colorful expanse of Japanese irises which got its start 38 years ago.
Japanese irises -- Angie Johnson
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Neighborhood gardens are bursting into bloom.
Carolyn Younger finds wildlife is active, too.
Carolyn Younger finds wildlife is active, too.
In early April Carolyn Younger took up her camera and went for a walk along Palmer Street near Napa's Fuller Park. The street was quiet except for the hum of bees and the tapping of a Nuttall's woodpecker exploring a nearby utility pole.
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During the past two weeks, Carolyn Younger also took her camera to a more remote neighborhood -- two back roads in Napa's Carneros district, Henry Road and Buhman Road.
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Joe Sinclair and his camera out for a walk
Here's what captured Joe Sinclair's attention during a recent walk through his Glen Cove neighborhood in Vallejo near the Carquinez Strait.
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The Napa Valley is Rhoda Stewart's 'neighborhood'
As Rhoda Stewart explains it, although she enjoys walking in her Alta Heights neighborhood "I get tired of the usual loops ... so I take drives out to Carneros, park my car, and walk, just as I did for my recent stroll through Henry Lane in Carneros.
"Sometimes," she adds, "I just go exploring, with camera, in favorite back country roads. I’ve long admired the Dutch Belted cows along Golden Gate Drive. As for the Carneros region roads, for many years, I cycled through there many a Saturday, all the way to Sonoma where we would get refreshment from Sonoma bakeries or cafes before our ride back. I’ve given up road cycling, so still like to go out there for a morning or evening walk, when the light is really lovely.
"... I guess I consider all these trails, roads, as well as immediate neighborhood as my neighborhood ... Anyway, these images are result of getting out of my car, as well as just getting out of the house, all the result of taking time to stroll roads, gardens and grounds, and not just treat places as destinations for shopping or eating. " RS
"Sometimes," she adds, "I just go exploring, with camera, in favorite back country roads. I’ve long admired the Dutch Belted cows along Golden Gate Drive. As for the Carneros region roads, for many years, I cycled through there many a Saturday, all the way to Sonoma where we would get refreshment from Sonoma bakeries or cafes before our ride back. I’ve given up road cycling, so still like to go out there for a morning or evening walk, when the light is really lovely.
"... I guess I consider all these trails, roads, as well as immediate neighborhood as my neighborhood ... Anyway, these images are result of getting out of my car, as well as just getting out of the house, all the result of taking time to stroll roads, gardens and grounds, and not just treat places as destinations for shopping or eating. " RS
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Gary and Vicki Sampson discover hidden lanes
Gary Sampson considers himself fortunate to live in Old Town. "On our last walk," he explained, "Vicki and I tried a new route. Since traffic is now negligible we felt we could safely cross Third, Second, and First streets on foot to Clay. We even found an alley way, with a series of small houses, from Clay to First, that we had never seen before. What a difference what you can see on foot rather than when traveling in vehicles, just zipping by. Our area was bounded by Seymour to the West, Clay to the North, Warren to the East, and Laurel to the South, with a walk up First Street in the B&B district. All images were taken with my iPhone 7+ as it is much easier to carry while walking. Of course, with my interest and profession in horticulture, the flowers and landscapes caught my attention. Also, some photos are from my own yard." GS
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CHANGES
New Farmers Market location on West Street in a City of Napa parking lot
Unfortunately, during the coronavirus pandemic the farmers market is no longer a suitable location for photo ops. It is for shoppers only and lingering is not encouraged.
Information on location changes and parking options are available on the market’s website: www.napafarmersmarket.org/map.
Unfortunately, during the coronavirus pandemic the farmers market is no longer a suitable location for photo ops. It is for shoppers only and lingering is not encouraged.
Information on location changes and parking options are available on the market’s website: www.napafarmersmarket.org/map.
Popular Photo Ops locations also on hold for now:
Western Railway Museum, Suisun City
Quarryhill Botanical Garden, Glen Ellen
Luther Burbank Gardens,Santa Rosa
Cornerstone Sunset Magazine gardens, Sonoma
Sturgeon's Mill, Sebastopol
Camel Barn Museum, Benicia
Western Railway Museum, Suisun City
Quarryhill Botanical Garden, Glen Ellen
Luther Burbank Gardens,Santa Rosa
Cornerstone Sunset Magazine gardens, Sonoma
Sturgeon's Mill, Sebastopol
Camel Barn Museum, Benicia
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Egret in tree -- Lanny Johnson
(Right) Lanny Johnson came upon this elegant egret at Kennedy Park.
The Napa River is full of activity despite to wintery weather. But so is your backyard, your daily walk, a drive along the Silverado Trail. What have you seen recently that made you haul out your camera?
If you came across a Photo Op you'd like to share we welcome your images.
The Napa River is full of activity despite to wintery weather. But so is your backyard, your daily walk, a drive along the Silverado Trail. What have you seen recently that made you haul out your camera?
If you came across a Photo Op you'd like to share we welcome your images.
Mother mallard with ducklings hatched under a hedge bordering the Hatt Building parking lot -- Carolyn Younger
(To see what caught the eye of other NVPS members in the past, go to the Past Workshops, Field Trips & Photo Ops page.)
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WORKSHOPS
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Waiting at JFK Airport -- Neil Silverman photo
OUT AND ABOUT WITH A CAMERA
Professional photographers Susan and Neil Silverman -- popular NVPS guest speakers -- teach a variety of photography workshops. For more information visit: www.silvermansphotography.com
OUT AND ABOUT WITH A CAMERA
Professional photographers Susan and Neil Silverman -- popular NVPS guest speakers -- teach a variety of photography workshops. For more information visit: www.silvermansphotography.com
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