Apr. 2001

President's Message

Portrait of Quentin Whitmore

Photo FAQs

Setting Up Your Own Filing System

President's Message

Karl Leck

Once upon a time I was a happy photographer aiming a camera at whatever fascinated me at that moment. I showed the resulting images to family and friends who seemed to like some of them. Then I met George while I was doing Army time at Aberdeen Proving Ground. He invited me to the Baltimore Camera Club and I was off into the world of camera club photography. Suddenly I had a venue to show pictures. There were experts like Karl Hartig, Eddie Bafford, and Max Araujo to learn from. Karl was a PSA pictorial kind of photographer who chased star points with nice portraits, lighthouses, and travel shots. Eddie was the old fashioned pictorialist doing bromoils, printing in skies and birds, and consistently winning with unsharp pictures that carried tremendous mood and feeling. Max was a professional commercial photographer who talked big and loved to photograph girls when he wasn't shooting new buildings or products.

I learned a lot from these people. But more than that, I was drawn into the club and its activities to give talks and to be slide chairman and print chairman. My few years there were fun. They changed my life's path.
Since then I have tried to be a working part of any club I belong to.

The club doesn't exist as a service provider to me in exchange for my fee or dues. If it were on that basis, the club would have to charge much more. Instead our club is a cooperative effort of people with a common interest entertaining and helping each other.

If you haven't helped with the setting up, organizing, calling, and arranging activities, you need to consider doing so. Some folks are afraid to try a job because they have never done something like that before. But the predecessor in the job probably never did it before and still managed to do a fine job.

The older members are really good people with the best interest of the club in mind and will give very good advice and assistance if asked. One club member feels so strongly about participating that she feels guilty if she doesn't do something significant each year to help. Remember that you are not alone in our group. You have friends here and you have help.

This is the time of year that we try to organize the officers and jobs for next year. If you are anxious to be more of a part of the club, just tell Jeff Smith and Bob Coffey that you would like to do something more than show up with your photos for a competition and then slip silently into the night. If you don't jump up and volunteer, someone may come asking you about helping. When that happens, consider it an opportunity to help your friends and yourself. It's OUR club.

For myself I am happier now than years ago. I still photograph what fascinates me. In addition I have a bigger audience to show photos to while helping others to have similar fun and enjoyment. Camera club is a cooperative organization where we work to help each other and thereby enjoy our passion more. I'll continue to do jobs in the club so that the organization thrives. I hope you will to.

We had an interesting print night in March as the film vs. digital challenge continued. The work by both advocates is spectacular. The printers are really into the challenge between Photoshop, Adobe Firmani (If you don't know what that is, come to print night to find out!), moody monochromes and super saturated color prints. It's an exciting time in photography as we learn to use powerful new tools and improve our traditional methods.

-Karl