"The Bleeding Heart of Sufi" by Diana Johnson-Martin of Kingsport, TN.
ABINGDON, VA -- "The Bleeding Heart of Sufi," a digital color photograph taken by Diana Johnson-Martin of Kingsport, TN, has been selected by the viewing public to receive the "Best in Show" award in the fourth annual Highlands Camera Club exhibition at The Arts Depot in Abingdon. The winning image was selected from 86 photographs on display.
Following are other winners:
Color:
1st Place: "Pristine Garden," Janice Snauko, Kingsport, TN
2nd Place: "Butterflies," Myra Renault, Abingdon, VA
3rd Place: "Autumn Road," Frank Renault, Abingdon, VA
Black & White:
1st Place: "After the Storm," Richard D. Meade, Norton, VA
2nd Place: Appalachia Long Ago, Janice Snauko, Kingsport, TN
3rd Place: The Four Cubs, Jim Cowan, Abingdon, VA
The Highlands Camera Club was founded in November, 2005 and currently consists of twenty-one members ranging in age from 18 to 80. While most of the members are from Abingdon, others in the club are from all around SW Virginia and NE Tennessee including both Bristols, Kingsport, Saltville, Damascus, Norton, St. Paul, and Chilhowie. The composition of the club ranges from just beginners with newly purchased digital cameras who want to learn more about photography, to the more advanced who are very willing to share their skills and experience with the newer members.
The Highlands Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Washington County Public Library. The meetings generally include constructive critiques of photos brought by members plus an educational program. Throughout the year field trips are taken to photogenic locales. Most of the club membership are using digital cameras including basic "point and shoot" to sophisticated SLRs. The majority of the members are beginners with limited knowledge and experience to intermediate and advanced photographers.
Members are extremely interested in learning more about photography and many take advantage of the courses offered at the Southwest Virginia College for Older Adults. The primary goal of the club is to learn more about improving photography through discussion forums, field trips, training (both at club meetings and in the field), invitation of guest speakers to meetings to share, describe and show photography concepts through their work and experience.
The more advanced club members provide training and discussion of photographic principles, composition, and lighting and Adobe Photoshop techniques for both color and black-and-white.
A few members still prefer to use a darkroom and develop both their color and black-and-white pictures, but most of the members use computers. The club has a digital projector, which enhances the methods for showing photographic works and providing training at the monthly meetings.
Guests are always welcome at club meetings and field trips and look to future growth of the club. For more information on the Highlands Camera Club, please call club president Don Josif at 276-944-5881 or Jim Cowan at 276-628-5905 or e-mail him at jc@summerfieldinn.com
