| About the Club |
| Welcome to the Stay Focused Photography Club! In the fall of 2001, several people got together with the idea of starting a photography club. There have been several in southern New Jersey, but these people wanted fresh ideas, fresh faces, and a bright and new adventure. These few people spoke to a few more people and the first "formation committee" meeting was held. The thoughts, ideas and plans flowed easily and soon we were ready to start this journey. Sites were chosen, our first special speaker was contacted, the agenda was finalized, mailing lists were created, flyers were made and mailed. The first meeting was held on January 19, 2002. Our hopes for a good attendance were dashed as the snow began to fall and cover the ground, but the room filled quickly and soon we were trying to find chairs from all over the building. It became standing room only. Introductions of the formation committee were made, along with our hopes of the future of the club. Our speaker, Eric Weeks (a local Certified Professional Photographer and an instructor at both local colleges), did a terrific job of touching on all the aspects of good picture-taking. He brought his own work to demonstrate his techniques. On that day, we were very fortunate to learn that the famous Nikon School was going to be in nearby Philadelphia on March 3, 2002. All of the members that attended the school were extremely pleased with the program. The speakers shared techniques, tips, advice, ideas, suggestions, etc., etc. Even the most experienced of our members walked away with a better understanding of better picture making. After the first meeting, a questionnaire filled out by attendees was tabulated to learn what the members are looking forward to in this new club. Between that and an open discussion that was held during the second meeting on February 16, 2002, we are planning for the future. We have ideas for teaching, field trips, programs, speakers, specialized trainings and assignment sharing. We are fortunate to live in South Jersey where we have a large range of geography: beaches, ocean, bays, pinelands, wetlands, farmfields, open sky, and sunsets. We are along the migration line of birds and butterflies. Cape May is less than an hour to our south and Philadelphia and New York are short distances away as well. Program and field trip possibilites are endless. We are happy to be volunteers at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Oceanville, NJ. Our success has only been achieved from the generosity of MotoPhoto in Northfield, NJ. They have provided us with their expertise, ideas, business and organizational skills. We shall continually thank and appreciate them!!! The club meets on the SECOND SATURDAY of every month, barring unforeseen circumstances. You may go to the Monthly Meeting Schedule link for detailed information. To find out about trips and events other than the monthly meetings, please access the Special Events link. We welcome any ideas and suggestions. Feel free to E-Mail us with any thoughts you might have. |
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