Tag Archive for Sun Lakes Camera Club

Camera Club: The Also-Rans

Ken Duquaine This month’s featured photo by member Norma Walsh won a well-deserved first place in our December competition’s Class A Digital Open category. Were there other photos entered in that category that were also of excellent quality? Absolutely! Have you ever entered a photo in a competition that you were certain was a “can’t…

Improve Your Photography Skills

Ken Duquaine Everyone’s photographic journey is different. Some have only recently started their exploration with the excellent cameras built into today’s smartphones. Others have been honing their skills for years, beginning with Brownies and Instamatics, moving then to 35mm, and finally transitioning from film to digital photography. Still others practiced photography through high school and…

Camera Club Begins New Season

Ken Duquaine Perhaps Arizona’s greatest claim to fame is that it’s home to one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon. Each year, hordes of both amateur and professional photographers join the nearly six million visitors to this spectacular landscape. One of the first things that photographers realize when viewing their…

AI and the Future of Photography

Ken Duquaine The recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), while tremendously exciting in many respects, have caused considerable concern among scientists and the general public as to the implications of that technology in many important areas. And like many other photographers, I have been forced to question the future of a hobby that has consumed…

The Secret of Hyperfocal Distance

Ken Duquaine Most novice and more experienced photographers alike have encountered the term “hyperfocal distance” in their readings. Simply put, hyperfocal distance is that distance at which the lens is focused that gives the most acceptable sharpness from half of that distance to infinity. Theoretically, everything from half of the hyperfocal distance to infinity should…

And the Winners Are …

Ken Duquaine The Sun Lakes Camera Club (SLCC) wrapped up its 2022-23 season on April 20 with a banquet and year-end photo competition. The annual year-end competition represents the best images submitted by our competing members in monthly competitions throughout the past season. Each competing member is allowed to submit up to four photos that…

It Might as Well Be Spring

Ken Duquaine Springtime in Arizona is a very special season. But when spring follows a very wet winter, bringing the desert alive with an uncharacteristically lush green color and an abundance of spectacular wildflowers, now that’s really special. The chilly evenings have given way to more moderate temperatures, bringing the pleasant aroma of outdoor barbeques…

Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most

Ken Duquaine The title of this article, while admittedly a favorite song of mine, is also an apt description of spring in Arizona. While in much of the country people look forward to spring bringing a welcome end to winter and a return to more tolerable temperatures, many Arizonans anticipate the arrival of spring as…

Have Camera, Will Travel

Ken Duquaine Among the many reasons to join a camera club is the opportunity to participate in various photo shoots that can range from single-day trips to excursions of several days. Often these field trips involve places or subjects that one would not have known about otherwise. Some of the more rewarding aspects of such…

Photo Contest Judging Criteria

Ken Duquaine One of the popular activities of many camera clubs, including Sun Lakes, is photography contests. Photo contests are a great way to challenge ourselves to improve our photographic skills. While the approach to contests varies from club to club, often, photos submitted by members are evaluated and scored by a three-judge panel. A…