Enchanted Lens Camera Club
Enjoy Photography with Our Club Activities and Members
Sean Neilson is a nature and wildlife photographer based out of Southeast Alaska, where he works as a naturalist, guide and photo instructor. He began his career as a park ranger with the National Park Service working for several years in Yellowstone, and then for 15 years in Glacier Bay National Park.
Now, he runs his own small business where he does everything from helping film crews with logistics, to writing articles for Alaska Magazine, to selling fine art prints online, and to instructing photography for National Geographic/Lindblad Expeditions in Baja, Mexico, Antarctica, British Columbia, and in his own backyard in Alaska.
In recent years, he has expanded his areas of expertise to include drone photography, as well as portraiture–incorporating the blending of natural and artificial light.
He enjoys all aspects of photography and pushes himself and his clients to be more creative in their compositions by learning the rules of composition, taking advantage of available light and being prepared for that one moment when it all comes together.
You can see more of his work at www.seanneilson.com, or www.instagram.com/glacierbayphoto/
Judge: Gale Sutton. Theme: Rust and Peeling Paint
I grew up in San Diego, California, part of a family that roamed the readily accessible mountains, beaches, and desert whenever possible. I moved to New Mexico in 1973 for graduate school and remained, spending the next two-plus decades as a jury psychologist.
Although photography has always been a part of my life, in 2007 I was diagnosed with early-stage, but aggressive, breast cancer. Shocked, numbed, restless, and depressed, I picked up a camera and started taking photographs of the orchids I grew. I bought a printer, saw at once that I needed to pay attention to how I framed my photos, backgrounds, be aware of what I was trying to capture (before I took the photo). Depression lifted, I began muddling along, teaching myself photography and post-processing.
I’m always delighted to photograph a cloudy sky. Having grown up in the arid Southwest, I treasure even the whisper of water. The textures and rhythms of our planet – in rocks, cliffs, trees, oceans – enthrall me, leave me musing about the eons it took for our mountains to grow, our rivers to find their paths, the infinite number of times waves have broken on an outcropping.
As a child, my family made a yearly trek the length of Route 66 and photographing along the many miles of Route 66 is one of my favorite pastimes. Today, Route 66 is a broken montage of roads crossing long stretches of desert, farmlands, through tiny towns with closed diners, motels, gas stations. To travel it, photograph it, is to step into the history of the 20th century, to hear forgotten stories once more.
I’ve been a member of the Albuquerque Photographers’ Gallery for the last twelve years and served as its Director for nine years. Along the way, I’ve been in numerous juried art shows and fairs. Today, I keep muddling along, always learning, always striving to take better photographs.
For more information, see Gale’s website at galesuttonphotography.com
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Club Activities
Monthly Speaker
Monthly Photo Exhibition & Critique
For members only, your images will be critiqued and ribbons awarded by an experienced professional photographer or an advanced club member.
Casual Critique
LeRoy Perea provides a “gentle” critique of your images offering suggestions for improvement.
Mid-Week Marauders
We meet once a month at a photographically interesting spot. A great way to have fun with fellow club members and for beginning photographers to learn from those with more experience. The lunches after the shoot are icing on the cake.
Mentorship (Monthly)
Join us for a monthly members only opportunity to improve your photography! For the beginner and the experienced photographer, our programs have something for everyone.
Our Meetings
Join us as we begin our 2021-2022 club year continuing with Zoom meetings September thru November 2021 for our Speaker’s and Exhibition meetings. Beginning in January we will have various types of meetings which include in-person meetings at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) and hybrid/Zoom meetings; and Zoom only meetings.
To request information about attending any of our meetings, click at the bottom of this page to request more information.
Yearly membership dues are $50.00 for individuals and $75.00 for couples.
Anyone interested in the practice of photography is eligible for membership.
Membership entitles you to:
- Mentorship and Workshops
- Monthly Local Photo Outings
- Monthly Exhibition and Photo Critique
- Communicating with Members via our Email List
- Portfolio Project Participation
Schedule for 2021—2022
IS
Monthly Speakers
September 2nd
Speaker: Janet Kleyn
Topic: Hide/Wildlife Photography (photography from a blind)
October 7th
Speaker: Ella Carlson
Topic: Abstraction and Creativity
November 4th
Speaker: Thomas Kelly
Topic: Hidden Himalayas
December 2nd
Speaker: Dennis Chamberlain
Topic: Creativity
January 6th
Speaker: Jose Benito Ruiz
Topic: Elements of Composition
February 3rd
Speaker: Randy Montoya
Topic: Photojournalism
March 3rd
Speaker: Wayne Suggs
Topic: Pre-Visualization vs. Letting the Light Dictate Your Photography
April 7th
Speaker: Matt Payne
Topic: Mountain Photography
May 5th | Zoom Meeting
Speaker: Sean Neilson
Topic: How I Approach a Shoot and Previsualize Images
June 2nd | Zoom Meeting
Speaker: Maria Baca/Helen Johnson
Topic: Portfolio Project Showcase Presentation
Exhibition Judges
(Members only)
September 16th
Judge: Gary Crabbe
Assigned Topic: Fog, Mist, or Steam
October 21st
Judge: Dennis Dunbar
Assigned Topic: Cold
November 18th
Judge: Jessica Lazoya
Assigned Topic: Seasons in Nature
December 16th
Judge: Peter Boehringer
Assigned Topic: Nature Devoid of Vegetation
January 20th
Judge: Theodore Greer
Assigned Topic: Southwest Cultural Sites
February 17th
Judge: Michael De Young
Assigned Topic: Life in Action: The Power and Beauty of Motion
March 17th
Judge: Roberto Rosales
Assigned Topic: Silhouettes and or Shadows
April 21st | In Person Hybrid Meeting
Judge: Peter Davies
Assigned Topic: Water
May 19th
Judge: Gale Sutton | In Person Hybrid Mtg.
Assigned Topic: Rust and Peeling Paint
Mentorship Topics
(Members only)
September 14th
Mentor: Sara Leikin
Topic: Introduction to ELCC and Shooting Balloon Fiesta!
October 11-12th, 18-19th
Mentor: Keith Bauer
Topic: Fundamentals of Photography
November 9th
Mentor:
Topic: New Masking Tools in Lightroom
January 11th
Mentor: Helen Johnston
Topic: When, Why, How To Post-Process Images
February 8th
Mentor: Judy Beiriger
Topic: Beginner Lightroom Workflow
March 15th
Mentor: Judy Beiriger
Topic: Beginner Photoshop Workflow
April 12th
Mentor: Igal Brener
Topic: Astrophotography
May 10th
Mentor: TBD
Topic:
June 7th | Zoom Meeting
Mentor: Maria Baca/Helen Johnson
Topic: Portfolio Project Information and Sign-up