One Minute Update (30 Jan)

What a week!  The judging of the 'Community' Photo Contest was an incredible experience.  Last year we had around 160 images and 3 judges.  This year we had over 200 entries and 7 judges.

Thank you's go out to Charlie Lehman from the Collaborative MeetUp Group, Kristal Kraft from the Front Range MeetUp Group, Dr. Jason Odell from the Luminesence MeetUp Group and our own Jim Harris, Hope Phipps and Amy & Paul Martin.

We had 2 monitors, a MacBook Pro laptop, an iPad, a projector, lots & lots of cables and a deadline.  (Thank you also to the volunteers who came early and helped me set up and tear down the room!)  It was an amazing environment and I will say the judges were tremendous.

But most importantly we have some extraordinary local talent and I think when you come to the Gala/Donor Appreciation night you are going to be blown away with what is on exhibit.  In the meantime go online and check out the entries, the Top 8  (vote for the 'Best of Show' award-- Comments under the photo count as votes :-) and there is even a slide show.

I would like to put a quick word in about one of our Contest Winners.  This was Peter Zula's first year

to enter.  He and I met for coffee and went over his entries.  He was quite candid and I could tell that he just needed a little recognition and support.  We found (9) images that I thought the judges would

like.

Let me tell you that Peter won 1st Place in the B/W category, Grand Prize in the Close Up category, 1st Place and a 5th Place in Man-Made/Abstract and 2nd Place in the Photojournalism category.  All I can say is 'wow!'  I am so glad that I could be there to look at his portfolio, make some suggestions and now be a part of his winning streak.  Peter is on a roll.  He is setting up a show at the Rockrimmon Library for the month of Feb. and setting up a B&W Street Photography exhibit starting at Poor Richards Restaurant.  If you run into Peter ask him about winning and his experience with the Group

Meanwhile, while all this Contest 'stuff' was going on we hit a historic 700 MeetUps held for our CSCPG Group- no small achievement.  Thanks to all our Co-Organizers and Event Hosts who make this 'stuff' happen and FUN!

On the personal side.  I am back in school.  I have 3 classes. Intro to Accounting, Economics and Non-profit Management.  Lots of fun ;-(  Actually it is a great challenge and gives me something else to do- when I am not working on MeetUps ;-)

Let me ask, please leave comments or email me (springsboys@gmail.com), how many people would like to see the Group sponsor a 'Summer Photography Workshop.'  Members would get 1 class for FREE.  I would bring in outside talent and we would cover photography soup to nuts.  Basic, Intermediate and Advanced classes.  What do you think.  Give me some feedback, let's start a conversation.

That's it for this week.  Thanks again to all those people who made the contest judging happen.  Like us if you want a dailey dose of photography or refer us to a friend if love the 'Community' we're building

Best,
Charlie

Our Vision: Educate, Showcase and Be Community Minded

One Minute Update (Jan 23)

Hi everyone,

This is going to be an exciting weekend.  We are going to judge the Community Photo Contest images on Saturday and by the end of the day we will have our winners for 2013.  I am excited!  Keep your fingers crossed I can get the technology to work.  I'll be running two mirrored screens off my laptop for the judges and projecting images for the audience using my iPad.  It is a little adhoc, but it works. Or at least I have tried it at home and it works :-)  After Saturday I will work to get the news out to all the winners and I will start to plan the exhibit for the Gala & Donor appreciation night (Mar 7th).  We hope to see you there.  There will be food, friends and trophies & ribbons (Happy Photographers).

Last weekend, while most of you were watching the game, a few of us were settled into a classroom learning about Red Cross Public Affairs- but we were also talking pictures.  Dale Poll shared a photo from the Saturday Night Lights MeetUp with Simone.  I love to listen to photographers talk about the fun and excitement of shooting.  And it is great to hear when they are trying something new or creating images that they have been thinking about doing for a while and then finally getting to do.  Thank you to Simone our Co-Founder and one of our Co-Organizers for opening up her studio on a Saturday night for people like Dale to come in and stretch their imaginations and have FUN!  If you have attended one of Simone's FREE or paid classes then you know how lucky we are to have her in our group.  So thank her the next time you see her, ok?  And send Dale an email if you like his image.

Something new.  Thanks to Michelle Goodall for sharing 20 Stunning Infared Photographs

Thanks to Ray Esparza for this capture:

Have a great week!

Charlie

One Minute Update (16 Jan)

Hi everyone,

I got a great response last week from Diane G.  She said that 'there seems to be a push for more members, but more 'active' members is what we need.'  I agree Diane.

If you look at this slide that shows 'total' and 'active' you will see that we have grown in the last 3 years from under 100 to just around 200 'active' members.  What is non proportional is that we tend to attract some 'looky loos' who like us enough to join, but for some good reasons have not yet made it to a MeetUp.

I got another great email from Lori Q and she said, 'please don't remove me.'  She, like a lot of people, has many family demands and loves the group, but can't (yet) make it to MeetUps.  I told her that's perfectly fine.  We are not rushing anybody to the door.  It is simple to not get bumped, just go visit the site once in a while.  You don't have to sign up for a MeetUp, just visit the site and it will mark you as 'active.'  Let's continue to grow in smart and healthy 
ways

Simply put 'running a MeetUp Group' is not easy.  I know Groups that don't ever remove anyone so it appears when they have (800-1,000) members that they have a great group.  I have chosen to do things a lot differently.  I hold 'Annual Meetings,' where I talk about the shape of the Group.  We have an omsbuds(wo)man to handle any complaints or problems with the Group (Sheri Waddell <sherilwaddell@gmail.com>).  And I promote 'Community' mindedness.

So in short, yes we should be an 'active' group.  A group that understands that people are busy and they

want to belong, but can't always attend.  But what I feel is that we have to avoid stagnation.  We have to

grow.  Not always in numbers, but in healthy ways.  After 3 years, I know we are headed in that direction

and it is great to have your feedback and your support.

For those of you who haven't been to a MeetUp in 6 or more months.  What are you looking for?  I don't

believe that we should do 230 MeetUps this year, but we can certainly deliver more of what you want.

Different topic.  My break from school is almost over (I start up on the 21st), but in addition to the rest

I got, I can tell you I had some FUN too.  Last week I spent 3 days in Denver at the Colorado History

Museum.  I like history and you know that I love photography, so you can

only imagine how much fun I had doing photo research for the Colorado

Red Cross' 100th Anniversary.  I am doing a video project, which consider-

ing my editing skills is a challenge onto itself.  But anyway, this image

caught my eye.  I love how it has been hand colored to include the rosey

cheeks.  An iconic pose, well lit and dramatic.  It tells a story of a bygone

era but also continues to say 'patriotism, Americana, duty, love, gentleness

and kindness.'  I have close to 50-60 images gathered for my 3 minute

feature (it is always better to have more than too little when it comes to

story telling).  So what spare time I have when school starts will be

precious.  But I am still looking forward to the MeetUps I have posted

for January.

Next weekend will be the Community Photo Contest.  It is a lot of work but I am looking forward to it. 
I want to thank all of you that participated this year.  The Photo Contest is growing- and yet not growing

too fast.  I look forward to the day when everyone in the Group contributes at least (1) image as a way

of showcasing their work at least once a year.  A yard stick of how
well you did that year.  Editing your pictures and competing is a
fun way of taking an account of where your skills are and how well
you are doing professionally.  The contest for me is exciting be-
cause I get to see the great diversity of creative and talented
photographers right here in Colorado Springs. 'Our Community'
EVERYONE should plan on comming to the Photo Contest Gala and Donor Appreciation Night on
March 7th at 6 p.m.  It will be a great night of food, fine photography, awarding of trophies and great
mingling with winners, friends and happy donors.

Readings:
Personalize Lightroom to Improve Your Brand

Have a great week!
Charlie

One Minute Update (9 Jan)

Hi everyone,

I hope your 2014 continues to be off to a great start.  Mine has.  I am on 'vacation' up in Denver.  I am working on a Visual Story Telling project for the Colorado Red Cross (it is their 100th Anniversary this year).  I spent much of my day at the Colorado Museum looking at old photos.  It is an awesome experience to handle old photographs and comb through looking for the best ones to use in your story.  For the most part they were all 'everyday' pictures.  People who simply loved to carry their cameras, capturing their changing times.  I thank them for leaving me the breadcrumbs to follow in their footsteps.

Let's see what is new for 'us' today.  We have lost a Co-Organizer.  Matt Payne is leaving us to pursue greater fame and fortune.  I have asked Don Savage to step in and fill Matt's place.  Many of you may already know Don.  He has been a member for a few years.

I got your message/feedback about talking about dues.  Your support has been incredible (95 people have paid their dues to date).  The only people who still question us asking for $1 a month to grow the community are the people that are not active in the Group.  Everybody else 'gets it.'  So I am getting off my soapbox.  There are better things to talk about and share.  I hope more of you will sign up for the 'Community' Photo Contest Judging on the 25th.   Even more FUN will be the Community Photo Contest Gala and Donor Appreciation night on Mar 7th.  (Please rsvp soon so we can have the right amount of food)

I did some trimming of the Group.  Some Groups never look to see how active their members are.  We do.  If someone has been inactive for more than a year then we check in with them and remove them from the Group if they are no longer interested.  So that explains why we went from 650 to 580.  We hate to see anybody leave the community- but we are committed you, the people that still care enough to read emails like this :-)

We have a date set for the Student Scholarship Judging (Apr 23rd).  I look forward to sharing the news and the results of this community project.  I am still open to any suggestions for a 2nd school for us to support in 2015 (I would like to grow (1) school a year.)

Some suggested reading:

Goodbye, Cameras in the New Yorker

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2013/12/goodbye-cameras.html

Let's have FUN!

Charlie