Schedule of Activities

Schedule of Activities

All Club Monday night meetings take place at the Soho Photo Gallery located at 15 White Street, between West Broadway and the Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue). Meeting sites for other Club activities are included within the listing. Following the schedule of activities are detailed directions to each of our meeting sites. Also, please check the Club HOTLINE or our WEBSITE for late breaking details on all meetings and other PWCC activities.

HOTLINE: (212) 592-4700

WEBSITE: www.parkwestcameraclub.org

All meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise indicated below.

The Park West Camera Club meets every Monday night (with some exceptions for holidays). Please join us at a meeting or on one of our many scheduled field trips.

* Saturday, August 26

Field Trip—Times Square at Night

Ever since the Mouse moved in and all the rats left, the Crossroads of the World has never been the same. I’m referring, of course, to the Disney Store moving into the neighborhood and changing Times Square from the seedy area it once was to the lively, safe, neon-blaring center of activity that it currently is. Why not join us tonight to capture all of the nightlife on film or flash card? We’ll meet on the south side of 42nd Street, between 7th Avenue and Broadway, right across the street from the old New York Times building. Please contact the trip leader to let her know of your interest in this trip. Leader: Rita Russo, 212-475-3875.

Sunday, August 27

Photo Op—Pakistani Day Parade

There are many ethnic parades in the City. This is one of the lesser know, but more colorful of them. This event begins marching down Madison Avenue from 41st Street at 1:00 p.m. and ends up at 23rd Street around 3:30 p.m. You can shoot at the uptown gathering area or pick out a spot along the route to shoot the festivities.

Saturday, September 2

Photo Op—Children’s Parade

Although the BIG event is on Monday, the West Indian-American Children’s Day Parade is just as photogenic. It has all of the costumes and other stuff you’d expect, but is also has kids--cute ones, little ones, bigger ones, smiling ones, crying ones; the entire gamut. The parade forms on Kingston Avenue and St. Johns Place. The route goes from there, south on Franklin Avenue to President Street, left on President Street to the endpoint at the Brooklyn Museum. Everything kicks off around 10:30 a.m. and goes til 4:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 2

Photo Op—Village Outdoor Art Exhibit

Check out local artists at the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit, in the heart of Greenwich Village. This yearly event spans two weekends, but today, the first day, is usually the best. You can photograph the artists in action, the people enjoying the show, and the many characters found in Washington Square Park. The exhibits crowds the sidewalks on the north and south sides of the park. It runs from 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m., or thereabouts.

* Sunday, September 3

Annual Pre-Labor Day Picnic

For the third year in a row, Club member Tim Sutherland and his wife Deb, have volunteered to host (and hostess) our start-of-the-new-season bash. However, this year will be an all new experience-- Tim and Deb have moved from their downtown South Street Seaport apartment with the huuuuge terrace to a private house with a backyard in an exclusive section of Brooklyn. Details appear elsewhere in this issue of the Newsletter (see Labor Day Blast).

Monday, September 4

Photo Op—Parades Galore

Today is Labor Day. That means parades. Every borough of the City, and many of the surrounding towns, have Labor Day parades (check your local listings). But, the big event of the day is the West Indian (Caribbean) Day Parade and Carnival in Brooklyn. Many of the city's roughly 1 million citizens of Caribbean ancestry--along with thousands of neighbors, day-trippers, and tourists—observe this raucous celebration of over-the-top costumes, fiery food, and pulsating music. If you’d like to get in on the fun, take the #4 train to the Utica Avenue Station (the parade staging area radiates from Utica and Eastern Parkway). You should be able to shoot in the staging area for over an hour and then continue shooting as the parade kicks off at noon (all parade activities end at 6:00 p.m., due to City ordinance, whether or not they reach the final viewing area) and then marches on Eastern Parkway over to Grand Army Plaza. Bring plenty of (color) film or extra media cards, but go light on the equipment (no tripods, etc.). There’s plenty to eat on the sidewalks and in the restaurants. Enjoy!

* Tuesday, September 5

Field Trip—Skyline By Sea

Come see a unique view of the skyline of Lower Manhattan and racing sail boats all lit by the wonderful setting sun behind you. The Willie Wall is a barge moored just north of Ellis Island and is the club house for the Manhattan Sailing Club. From the upper deck there are uninterrupted views of Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, Governors Island, and the skyline from Lower Manhattan to Midtown, plus all the water traffic on New York Harbor and the Hudson River. If you wish to join us, please contact the leader no later than the Friday before the date you wish to go (i.e. you must make contact by Friday, September 1st). Drinks and light snacks are available on the Willie Wall. Leader: Tim Sutherland, 347-885-9361 or timdebnyc@gmail.com.

Tuesday, September 5

Photo Event—Tuesday Evening Hour

Tonight’s presentation is Driving the Queen Mary 2-A View from the Bridge by Ben Lyons, the second officer of the QM2. The slide show begins at 6:30 p.m. and is held at St. Margaret’s House, 49 Fulton Street (near the South Street Seaport). The closest subway is the #2 or #3 train station at Fulton Street, but others are nearby--check your maps. A $2.00 donation is requested.

Thursday, September 7

Photo Event—PWP Monthly Meeting

Professional Women Photographers is a group of women photographers who network and share their images and experiences. Tonight’s guest speaker will be Ann Marie Rousseau is an artist and a photographer whose work for many years centered around the subject of homelessness in America, particularly as it impacted on the lives of women. As part of that work she traveled around the country interviewing and photographing homeless women in America. This work was entitled Shopping Bag Ladies: Homeless Women Speak About Their Lives. Her recent work employs a combination of photography and painting—large scale images are altered by a variety of techniques including the use of paints, inks, dyes, hand coloring, and darkroom manipulation. The meetings are held at Pratt Institute, 144 West 14th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, in Room 213. The doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. There is a $10.00 fee for guests.

Saturday, September 9

Photo Op—Labor Day Parade

For some strange reason (probably because there are so many other activities going on over the real Labor Day weekend) the City’s official Labor Day parade is today. The parade forms on 44th Street to 48th Street between Vanderbilt and 7th Avenues. The route goes up Fifth Avenue from 44th Street to 72nd Street and is dismissed on Fifth Avenue between 73rd and 78th Streets. All this takes place between 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, September 10

Photo Op—5th Avenue Mile Street Fair

Enjoy one of the many street fairs of New York City, with a variety of food, crafts, entertainment, and vendors. The festivities run from 11:00 a.m. til 3:00 p.m. on 5th Avenue along the east side of Central Park between 80th and 60th Streets.

* Monday, September 11

Show & Tell—Summer Photos

This is the first meeting of the new Club season. It is also your chance to show us what you did over the summer—Club activities, shots around the City, your personal vacation, whatever. Slides, digital projections, or prints are fine. Competition rules are not in effect (you don’t have to make the prints, etc.). Please limit your presentation to no more than five (5) minutes per person. We meet at the Soho Photo Gallery, as usual, at our normal time—7:00 p.m. Don’t miss this opportunity to share and catch up with the rest of us at PWCC.

Tuesday, September 12

Photo Event—Photoshop SIG Meeting

The Photoshop SIG (special interest group) of the New York Personal Computer User Group (NYPC) meets this afternoon. This get-together begins with lunch (optional) at the Tick Tock Diner in the Hotel New Yorker (at 8th Avenue and 34th Street) at 11:45 a.m. At 1:00 p.m. the group moves upstairs to the NYPC office (Suite 551) for the meeting. The entire meeting will be devoted to Photoshop CS2. SIG members will demo and discuss some of the most useful new features.

Tuesday, September 12

Photo Event—Tuesday Evening Hour

Tonight’s presentation is Romania-Beyond Dracula by Polly Bookhout, a retired librarian (what an appropriate name!) and digital photographer. The slide show begins at 6:30 p.m. and is held at St. Margaret’s House, 49 Fulton Street (near the South Street Seaport). The closest subway is the #2 or #3 train station at Fulton Street, but others are nearby--check your maps. A $2.00 donation is requested.

Wednesday, September 13

Photo Event—Photography Meet-Up

The Photography Meet-Up is a gathering of people with an interest in, of all things, photography. Tonight’s meeting is a social get-together at which we will share images and chat about photography. The meeting will be held at Dusk (a bar and lounge) located at 147 West 24th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues. To register as a meet-up member, simply go to www.meetup.com and follow the easy procedure (although this is not necessary, it is the right thing to do). There is no fee. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

* Saturday, September 16

Field Trip—A Walk Up Broadway #3

Our first two walks have been quite successful. We’ve gone from the Battery to midtown, shooting as we walk uptown, in anticipation of the Club’s upcoming (this spring) exhibit at the Manhattan Boro President’s Office. The exhibit will be titled, strangely enough, A Walk Up Broadway. For today’s trip, we will meet at 60th Street and Broadway, near the globe next to the Trump Tower, just north of Columbus Circle, at 2:00 p.m.. Most of the West Side subway lines (A, B, C, D, #1) stop right there. We will start shooting around the Circle, and work our way up to 86th Street, or so. Please sign up at any Club meeting or contact the trip leader directly to let her know of your interest in this trip. Leader: Evelyn Lief, 212-362-0536 or e-mail at evlief@msn.com

Saturday, September 16

Photo Op—San Gennaro Feast

The 79th Annual Feast of San Gennaro, which starts today and goes on for a week, will bring more than 1 million people to the streets of Little Italy in the annual salute to the Patron Saint of Naples. The street festivities—including parades, entertainment, food stands and a cannoli-eating contest—are capped on September 19th with a celebratory Mass and candlelit procession as the Statue of the Saint is carried from its permanent home in the Most Precious Blood Church on Mulberry Street. Since this event is usually so overcrowded, don’t bother with a tripod, but do bring plenty of media (film or cards) and if you’re planning on being there after dark, a flash would be helpful, too.

* Monday, September 18

Guest Speaker—George Obremski

To start off this season’s guest photographer series, we will see the works of photographer George Obremski. George is a successful studio and editorial photographer based in New York City. He was a judge at PWCC last year and has also presented his work to us many years ago. This is a presentation you wont want to miss.

* Tuesday, September 19

Field Trip—Skyline By Sea

This is your final chance for this event. See Tuesday, September 5 for the details. If you wish to come on this trip please contact the leader no later than the Friday before the trip (September 15th). Drinks and light snacks are available on the Willie Wall. Leader: Tim Sutherland, 347-885-9361 or timdebnyc@gmail.com.

Tuesday, September 19

Photo Event—Tuesday Evening Hour

Tonight’s presentation is Castles and Palaces of Austria and Bavaria by Horst Staudner, a published photographer, scientist, and world traveler. The slide show begins at 6:30 p.m. and is held at St. Margaret’s House, 49 Fulton Street (near the South Street Seaport). The closest subway is the #2 or #3 train station at Fulton Street, but others are nearby--check your maps. A $2.00 donation is requested.

Wednesday, September 20

Photo Event—Audubon Photo

The New York City Audubon Society’s Photography Committee is holding its first meeting of the year tonight. The show this evening is a presentation on Exploring Nature's Beauty by Steve Feingold.

Steve is the chairman of the NYC Audubon Photo Committee and is the instructor for the NYC Audubon Nature Photography class. His programs have been presented at numerous camera clubs and nature organizations in NYC and Long Island. His presentation will feature digital images of wildlife from Custer State Park in North Dakota, loons in Michigan, and birds in Florida. The meeting, open to the general public, is held in the Masonic Hall at 71 West 23rd Street, Room 1910, and begins at 6:45 p.m. A $3.00 donation is collected at the door.

* Monday, September 25

Executive Committee Meeting

Prior to tonight’s busniness meeting the Club’s officers will meet to discuss matters of interest and importance to the Club. The meeting will be held at the Soho Photo Gallery at 6:00 p.m.

* Monday, September 25

Business Meeting

This is the first business meeting of the new Club year. There’s always plenty of excitement in the air, including some business held over from last year. The Executive Committee and all of the committee chairs will be introduced. We’ll cap it all off with refreshments and a bit of socializing. (Don’t forget, your dues for the year are due—is that why they call them dues?—tonight!)

Tuesday, September 26

Photo Event—Tuesday Evening Hour

Tonight’s presentation is Nepal-Mountains and Buddhas by John Brzostoski, the director of the Center for Oriental Studies. The slide show begins at 6:30 p.m. and is held at St. Margaret’s House, 49 Fulton Street (near the South Street Seaport). The closest subway is the #2 or #3 train station at Fulton Street, but others are nearby--check your maps. A $2.00 donation is requested.

Wednesday, September 27

Photo Event—Sierra Photo

The New York City Sierra Club’s Photography Committee is holding its first meeting of the year tonight. The show this evening is a members’ night, a presentation of nature, landscape, and wildlife images by the members of the Committee. The meeting, open to the general public, is held on the second floor of St. Paul the Apostle Church at 515 West 59th Street, just west of Columbus/9th Avenue, and begins at 6:30 p.m. A $5.00 donation is collected at the door.

* Thursday, September 28

Projected Image Critique Workshop

Bring a small portfolio (10 to 12 images) of slides or digital images to be reviewed by your fellow Club member critics. Images can be your best work, those you’re having trouble with, or just ones you’d like some feedback on. Suggestions will be made on how to improve your images from composing to cropping, from lens selection to film or fotmat choice, and from use of lighting and filters. We’ll, begin at 7:00 p.m. Tonight’s meeting will take place at the home of President and First Lady Chuck & Helen Pine, located at 680 West End Avenue, at 93rd Street. Check out the directions below.

* Monday, October 2

Yom Kippur

No meeting tonight due to this Jewish holiday.

* Tuesday, October 3

Photo Shop Class—Session #1

Join us for this 4-session seminar on using Adobe’s Photoshop CS2, the latest and greatest word in digital imaging software. The class will be taught by Maria Ferrari. See the article, “Photoshopping,” elsewhere in this issue of the Newsletter for all the details.

Tuesday, October 3

Photo Event—Tuesday Evening Hour

Tonight’s presentation is Great Smoky Mountains and Joyce Kilmer National Forest by Louise Luger, a published photographer, workshop instructor, and NYSCA grant recipient. The slide show begins at 6:30 p.m. and is held at St. Margaret’s House, 49 Fulton Street (near the South Street Seaport). The closest subway is the #2 or #3 train station at Fulton Street, but others are nearby--check your maps. A $2.00 donation is requested.

* Friday thru Monday, October 6-9

Field Trip—Berkshires

All the rooms are booked for this long weekend (including Columbus Day) trip to see the great fall colors in western Massachusetts. But you can still have your name added to the waiting list just in case somebody drops out at the last minute.

* Monday, October 9

Columbus Day

No meeting tonight in honor of Christopher Columbus’ discovery and the fact that many of us will be away for the weekend in the Berkshires (see previous entry). If you can’t join us on our trip to Massachusetts, why not check out some of the Columbus Day activities around the City to make your own field trip?

Tuesday, October 10

Photo Event—Photoshop SIG Meeting

* Tuesday, October 10

Photo Shop Class—Session #2

Tuesday, October 10

Photo Event—Tuesday Evening Hour

Tonight’s presentation is George at 75-On Top of the George Washington Bridge by Dave Frieder, ‘The Bridge Man.” The slide show begins at 6:30 p.m. and is held at St. Margaret’s House, 49 Fulton Street (near the South Street Seaport). The closest subway is the #2 or #3 train station at Fulton Street, but others are nearby--check your maps. A $2.00 donation is requested.

Wednesday, October 11

Photo Event—NYC Audubon

The New York City Audubon Society is proud to present one of the country’s leading bird photographers for the last 25 plus years, as well as a world renowned birding expert. Mr. Karlson will be showing images from his new book, The Shorebird Guide. The meeting, open to the general public, is held at 6pm at the Lighthouse Auditorium, 111 East 59th Street, between Lexington and Park Avenues. Admission is free.

Thursday, October 12

Photo Event—PWP Monthly Meeting

Professional Women Photographers is a group of women photographers who network and share their images and experiences. Tonight’s guest speaker will be Maria Ferrari. She is a commercial photographer working in New York City's photo district for the past 20 years and is known for her attention to detail and her relentless dedication to the craft of photography & lighting. Ms Ferrari is also a teacher who has been helping other photographers grasp the power and creativity of digital imaging through Photoshop. The meetings are held at Pratt Institute, 144 West 14th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, in Room 213. The doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. There is a $10.00 fee for guests.

* Saturday, October 14

Field Trip—A Walk Up Broadway #4

We continue our walk up Broadway where we left off in September, around 86th Street. For the details, see the listing on September 16th. Please sign up at any Club meeting or contact the trip leader directly to let her know of your interest in this trip. Leader: Evelyn Lief, 212-362-0536 or e-mail at evlief@msn.com

* Monday, October 16

Monthly Competition

Tonight is the first competition of the new year. Who will win the top honors? What will the judge say about your images? Will you agree? The only way to find out the answers to these probing questions is to come on down and enter. Full rules are available from the Competition or the Membership Committees at any meeting. Remember, entries must be submitted by 7:15 p.m. so that we may get under way with the competition promptly at 7:30 p.m. Tonight’s judge is slated to be Len Spier, a photographer and photography educator (Len is an adjunct assistant professor at FIT). In addition, Len is an attorney specializing in the law as it pertains to photography and the arts.

* Tuesday, October 17

Photo Shop Class—Session #3

Tuesday, October 17

Photo Event—Tuesday Evening Hour

Tonight’s presentation is Lybia by Ron Nelson, a retired textbook editor who has visited over 125 countries. The slide show begins at 6:30 p.m. and is held at St. Margaret’s House, 49 Fulton Street (near the South Street Seaport). The closest subway is the #2 or #3 train station at Fulton Street, but others are nearby--check your maps. A $2.00 donation is requested.

Wednesday, October 18

Photo Event—Audubon Photo

The New York City Audubon Society’s Photography Committee is holding its first meeting of the year tonight. The show this evening is a presentation on Peregrinations of a Bird Photographer by John Van de Graaff. He is an advanced birder with a background in art who has become an accomplished bird photographer. Van de Graaff has exhibited at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment in fall 2004 and summer 2006. His presentation will include images from his travels of the last few years, including Alaska, Point Pelee, Ontario, the Camargue in France, and the Galapagos Islands. The meeting, open to the general public, is held in the Masonic Hall at 71 West 23rd Street, Room 1910, and begins at 6:45 p.m. A $3.00 donation is collected at the door.

* Monday, October 23

Guest Speaker—Chester Higgins, Jr.

The guest photographer for tonight is Chester Higgins, Jr. Mr. Higgins has been a staff photographer for The New York Times since 1975; his photographs have appeared in ArtNews, New York Times Sunday Magazine, Look, Life, Newsweek, Fortune, Ebony, Essence, Black Enterprise, GEO, and Archaeology. His work is the topic of the PBS film “An American Photographer: Chester Higgins Jr.” He is the author of the photo collections Black Woman, Drums of Life, Some Time Ago, and his latest book, Feeling the Spirit: Searching the World for the People of Africa. His one-man exhibitions have appeared at the International Center of Photography, The Smithsonian Institution, The Museum of African Art, The Museum of Photographic Arts, The Schomburg Center, The Newark Museum, National Civil Rights Museum and The Field Museum of Natural History. He is the recipient of grants from The Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, ICP, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Andy Warhol Foundation. Check out his website at <www.chesterhiggins.com> This is a presentation you definitely do not want to miss!

Tuesday, October 24

Photo Event—Photoshop SIG Meeting

* Tuesday, October 24

Photo Shop Class—Session #4

Tuesday, October 24

Photo Event—Tuesday Evening Hour

Tonight’s presentation is Prague and Budapest-Gems of Central Europe by Rita Zimmerman, a cultural photographer. The slide show begins at 6:30 p.m. and is held at St. Margaret’s House, 49 Fulton Street (near the South Street Seaport). The closest subway is the #2 or #3 train station at Fulton Street, but others are nearby--check your maps. A $2.00 donation is requested.

* Thursday, October 26

Print Critique Workshop

Tonight’s workshop is designed to help our members improve their printing techniques. Full details (time, location, and guest critiquer) will be disclosed as soon as they are finalized.

* Monday, October 30

Business Meeting

The agenda for this evening will contain the usual reports from the Recording Secretary, the Treasurer, and the committee chairs; a discussion of old and new business; good and welfare from the chair and the floor; and end up with refreshments and socialization. Remember, the PWCC Constitution requires that all Club members attend at least two business meetings each year. Why not make this one of them.

Tuesday, October 31

Photo Event—Tuesday Evening Hour

Tonight’s presentation is Trains and Nature by Allan Roberts, a veteran rail photographer and historian. The slide show begins at 6:30 p.m. and is held at St. Margaret’s House, 49 Fulton Street (near the South Street Seaport). The closest subway is the #2 or #3 train station at Fulton Street, but others are nearby--check your maps. A $2.00 donation is requested.

Tuesday, October 31

Photo Op—Halloween

Are you ready for all the ghouls and goblins? Tonight’s the night for trick-or-treaters and for paraders. Just pick out your spot along the Greenwich Village Halloween Day Parade route (6th Avenue from Spring Street going up to 22nd Street) starting around 7:00 p.m. and going on for several hours. Of course, check for other festivities going on around the City.

Directions to Soho Photo Gallery

at 15 White Street, between Avenue of the Americas/Sixth Avenue and West Broadway. Take the #1 or #9 train to the Franklin Street station (one stop below Canal Street). Walk one block north on West Broadway to white street, make a right turn, and walk half a block to the gallery. Take the A, C, or E train to the Canal Street station. Walk south on Church Street 3 blocks to White Street, make a right turn, and walk half a block to the gallery. Although a little bit longer walk, take any other train to Canal Street, walk south a couple of blocks to White Street, turn right, and walk to the gallery. Evening parking is limited, but available.

Directions to the Pine Apartment

at 680 West End Avenue (at 93rd Street), Apartment 5D: Take the #1, 2, or 3, trains to 96th Street (exit at the south end of the station) or the M7, M11, or M104 bus to 93rd/94th Street. From the train or bus, walk the few steps to 93rd Street, make a right turn and head west to the apartment entrance on the corner of West End Avenue and West 93rd Street.