Shutterbugs Earn Ribbons

Three Shutterbugs and one former Shutterbugs member received ribbons on Feb. 20, 2015, at a photography competition hosted by the Georgia Nature Photographers’ Association (GNPA)—Central Chapter.

      Best in Show: Linda Godwin

      1st Place: Jimmy Day (former member)

      2nd Place: Anna Mary Ellerbee (shown in the photo below)

      Honorable Mention: Francis Hauke

Congratulations!!!

Featured Photographer King Davis

King Davis is the Featured Photographer for March 2015.  You can view his bio and sample photographs here.

King Davis Leads Flower Photography Class

Local Photographer To Lead Flower Photography Class

A presentation on flower photography will be given by Thomaston native King Davis on Saturday, February 21st, at Massee Lane Gardens as part of the 2015 Festival of Camellias.  The program is scheduled for 1 pm in the auditorium, with ample time following for attendees to photograph throughout the gardens and greenhouses.  Though primarily for beginning and intermediate photographers, the 2-hour presentation will be applicable to many types of photography and a wide range of experience levels. 

There is no charge for attending the presentation, but admission to Massee Lane is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors over 55; children under 12 are admitted free. Massee Lane Gardens is the home of The American Camellia Society and is located at 100 Massee Lane, about five miles south of Fort Valley, GA on Georgia Highway 49.  Registration by calling 877.422.6355 is encouraged, but is not required for attendance.

For more info on the gardens, visit http://www.camellias-acs.org and then click on the box about  Massee Lane Gardens. To view samples of King’s flower photography, visit his blog (www.kingdavis.zenfolio.com)  and then scroll down to find the “Blooms” gallery. He is an active member of the West Central Georgia Shutterbugs.

This can also be read at:
 http://www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/shutterbugs.html#.VOYnMy5dmJA

In Memoriam, Dianne Kelly

Dianne Culpepper Kelly

July 29, 1952-January 24, 2015

Dianne joined the Shutterbugs in 2009 and was an active member thereafter, serving in several leadership roles, recruiting other photographers, attending group meetings and functions, etc. She was also a member of the Georgia Nature Photographers’ Association (GNPA).

She loved photography, especially nature, landscapes, and close-up subjects—and she created beautiful images. Her work was chosen for several of United Bank’s annual calendars. Her photos won awards at the Georgia National Fair in Perry; and was exhibited in several locations, including Callaway Gardens, Thomaston-Upson Arts Council (TUAC), A Novel Experience (bookstore in Zebulon), and the LEAF (Library, Educational, and Art Facility) in Williamson.

She was an avid learner and an eager participant, going on as many photo shoots as possible, attending workshops locally and far away, and attending Shutterbugs meetings to learn from the variety of excellent photographers invited to speak at Shutterbugs meetings. “Just being able to get out with other photographers to learn and have fun is a wonderful experience,” she said. Just days before she passed away she was still wishing she could do that very thing!

Because she was so eager to photograph the beauty all around her, she obviously agreed with Ansel Adams who said, “Sometimes I do get to places just when God is ready to have somebody click the shutter.” And click the shutter she did!

She used a point-and-shoot camera to create award-winning photos, proving Ansel Adams was right when he said, “It is the photographer, not the camera, that is the instrument.”

Dianne was much admired and will be greatly missed.

Shutterbugs attend "Puppy Love" photography exhibit

Six Shutterbugs attended the opening reception for the 8^th annual “Puppy Love” photography exhibit hosted by A Novel Experience in Zebulon on the evening of Feb. 7^th.  Francis Hauke and Linda Godwin were there, as were Rachel and Charles McClelland and Johnnie Ann Gaskill, who are shown (right to left) in one of the photos. In the second photo, Ellen Tew (a charter member of the Shutterbugs) snaps a picture of the excited photographer who received two ribbons: 1^st Place and “Best in Show.”

Shutterbugs Visit Callaway Gardens

Several Shutterbugs indicated they wanted to go to Callaway Gardens on Feb. 4^th. However, due to illness and other hindrances, only Melba Brown and Johnnie Ann Gaskill actually went. They had a wonderful time as they developed their macro photography skills. Hopefully, others will get to go at another time, as Sherry Kunde did, because there’s much to photograph during every season at Callaway, even winter!  Admission is free on weekdays (except for the 16^th) until the end of February 2015.

Featured Photographer Melba Brown

Photo by Johnnie Gaskill

Our featured photographer for January 2015 is Melba Brown, who has been a member of Shutterbugs since the group started in 2006 and has held various leadership positions. She has been especially helpful with the two exhibits the Shutterbugs have held at Callaway Gardens.

After retiring from the Georgia Department of Transportation in 2001 with 34 years of service, she rekindled her love for photography. She has taken photography classes from Jim Henderson, John Reed, and also traveled with John Baker on his photography tours to Vermont and the Palouse (Washington State).

Several of her photos have been chosen for United Bank calendars, including one on the July page in the 2015 calendar. Her photos have been exhibited at Callaway Gardens, TUAC, A Novel Experience  and The Williamson LEAF (Library, Educational and Art Facility). She has won many awards at the Georgia National Fair, as well as on her online gallery at Better Photo.
  
She enjoys traveling, reading and gardening. She is a member of the Upson Historical Society and served on the publication committee for the book, “Upson County - A Pictorial History”. She has presented many programs to local civic and church groups to show photos of her travel adventures and also to share her love and knowledge of gardening she acquired as a Master Gardener.

An Exciting New Chapter Opens

Through the years, the Shutterbugs club has been a work in progress. We started off in January 2006 as a small, loosely knit group comprised of people of all ages and interests who loved photography and wanted to learn more about it and have fun shooting alongside others.

As the group grew, we elected officers who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to secure speakers for the monthly meetings, to plan photo shoots, to publicize our events, to arrange opportunities for us to exhibit our work (Callaway, TUAC, A Novel Experience, the Georgia National Fair in Perry…), etc. Our group grew by leaps and bounds—in numbers, as well as in skill. Even when membership reached its highest (over 60 members), we continued to feel like “family” because we’d formed lasting friendships as we went places together, had fun together, learned from one another, supported one another’s efforts, and gave emotional support during difficult times.

For various reasons, our membership began to decline, leading us to vote (in January 2015) to dispense with regular meetings on the 2nd Tuesday in each month. However, members present at that meeting wanted the group to stay together, since each has benefitted greatly from being a part of the group. Thus, we decided we would revert to the way we were when the group was just beginning: that we would focus on learning together in a less structured environment. We plan to go on lots of field trips and just have fun as we develop friendships and help one another learn more about photography.

To that end, Johnnie Ann Gaskill has volunteered to continue to maintain an e-mail list of those who wish to be notified about upcoming activities. Interested persons may request their name to be added to the list by sending an e-mail to wcgshutter@gmail.com. Jan Price has volunteered to handle the publicity (newspapers, blog, Facebook, etc.). Charles McClelland and Jim Davidson will manage the checking account. Our blog will continue to have a “Featured Photographer” page, which will showcase the wonderful talent that’s in our local area.

Thus, we begin a new and exciting chapter in our story! Do contact us if you’d like to help “write” it and, perhaps, snap some pictures that will document our fun times together. As always, photographers of all skill levels are invited to participate.

January 2015 Meeting

The Shutterbugs will hold their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, January 13, 2015, 6:30 p.m. at the Hightower Memorial Library, 800 West Gordon Street (across from Upson Regional Medical Center) in Thomaston. All members are urged to attend in order to have input regarding the future of the club. Members are urged to think about whether they’d be willing to assume a leadership role in the new year. In order to have time to discuss the challenges facing the club, there will be no instructional program.