Hello September and Hello Autumn!

You feel that chill in the air? No? Must be the AC is too cold here in my office. 😄 Hope everyone is getting their photos ready to send me for the 3rd quarterly photo challenge reveal meeting! Tough but fun little challenge. The new one starts now, our 4th Quarter Autumn Challenge! More on that below.

So what’s on the agenda for September? As I said, our big 3rd Quarter reveal meeting is on the 9th. That should fun to see everyone’s images! Since our field trip last month was kind of uneventful, I thought we’d do it again this month! Minus the meteors. We’ll head out somewhere on Sept. 12th and try again for a sunset - milky way field trip.

This month, we’re switching our Frame It with Photo Finish. PhotoFinish will be on the 16th, and FrameIt! will be on the 23rd, and will be “street photography”. Always a fun theme. Check out the website for all the details. And something fun for September, I’m bringing back PhotoFinish where I’ll process night photography and milky way images. But instead of me processing my images, I want to process YOUR night photos! So send me your RAW photos, maybe include a JPG of YOUR edit so you can explain what, if anything, you’re having trouble with. And these can be from any night photography event you like, not just from last month. 

As I always say, RSVP, RSVP, RSVP. If you plan on attending any of our in-person field trips, please RSVP. Even if you change your mind later, its ok. As long as we have some idea of who’s planning on being there. That being said, I hope to see you all at our many events this month! Don’t be shy. Come on out and have some fun!

AUTUMN ‘4 FOR 4’ PHOTO CHALLENGE
STARTS NOW!

4th Quarter - Autumn Challenge - Find a fairly wide to mid-range scene and photograph it. Then, find 3 smaller vignettes within that scene and photograph those. Use different lenses, focal lengths, or types of light, etc. Get creative! Images due by December 4th.

And now… September’s events

QUICK GUIDE TO SEPTEMBER’S EVENTS

Below are links to the SFNPCC website for all of our September events. Scroll down in this email for brief summaries of the events with links to the website. (Remember, the website is where all the important information lives for our events.

Also, please RSVP for our outings VIA EMAIL. ☺️)

9/9   - Meeting - HYBRID  - ‘4 for 4’ Summer Challenge Reveal 
9/12 - Field Trip - Sunset & Milky Way!
9/16 - PhotoFinish - ZOOM - I Process YOUR Night Photos
9/23 - FrameIt! - ZOOM - Theme “Street Photography”

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2026 3rd Triannual Print competition goes from August 31st to September 30th!

Want to compete? Click the link above for info.

Winners will be announced on October 17th.

Click the link above for more information!

The FCCC, along with Hunt’s Photo & Video, presents monthly free webinars on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The August 25th webinar was “Using Lightroom for your Nature Photography” by Henry Doyle. If you’d like to see the replay, click on the link above. If you want to be included in the next FREE webinar, be sure to ‘register’ with the FCCC (if you’re not already-see below) so you can be emailed for future free webinars. 

Did you know that membership in SFNPCC automatically gets you membership in the FCCC? All you need to do is register HERE - and be sure to choose the South Florida National Park Camera Club from their drop-down menu for free membership. There are many opportunities to be had by registering, including:

• Three digital and three print competitions per year

• Images and/or prints that win ribbons in the tri-annual competitions are automatically entered in year-end competition

• Free personal Competition Gallery showing all entered images

• Free web link to your personal non-commercial website on our “Members Website” page

• Members receive reduced registration fees and other benefits at our conventions

• Access to our Discussion Forums

You can find out more by clicking the FCCC logo above and peruse their website. I’m sure you’ll find something in there that will appeal to you! 

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Homestead Center for the Arts (HCA). Click the link to find out more about the HCA and how you can join!

As a member of the HCA, you can have your work circulated on HCA’s social media channels. Members may email nancoppola@fastmail.fm with the details, and the HCA will share. Be sure to follow the HCA on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/homesteadcenterforthearts), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/homesteadcenterforthearts/), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@homesteadarts).

Also, all members of HCA can have a video created of their work to be placed on our dedicated YouTube channel. This is for artists, artisans, authors, photographers, and soon maybe musicians. We have almost twenty videos now and want to see as many as possible added to that. Check out https://www.youtube.com/@homesteadarts and contact pkellerartclasses@gmail.com to schedule a video shoot or to send an existing video.

Only HCA members can participate. If you’re not already an HCA member you can click on the link and join online (it’s $20 a year), or you can drop Hugh an email and he’ll get you hooked up. Additional benefits of HCA membership include an artist page on HCA website and feature interviews on the HCA YouTube channel!

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We’re still looking for a liaison between the Florida National Parks Association (FNPA) and us. If you’re interested, send me an email and we can discuss.

In case you didn’t know, your full annual membership in the SFNPCC automatically gets you membership in the FNPA. You all should have received your updated membership cards a month or so ago, and you all should also be receiving their newsletters via email. For more information on the FNPA, click the link or their logo above to view their website. Any new members from the summer, I’m working on getting those to you. This month they should come to you in the mail. 

The FNPA consists of three subgroups, the Biscayne Institute, the Big Cypress Institute, and the Everglades Institute. Each has many daily, weekly, or monthly events for you to enjoy. I highly recommend clicking the link and searching each of their websites if you’re looking for something different to do.

This month, the Everglades Institute is hosting their Veteran Fishing Workshop, meeting at Ernest Coe Visitor’s Center on September 5, 2026 at 9:00 AM. Click this link if you’re interested. The event is free, but they require a $25 deposit that will be refunded once you show up.

Next month is Shooting Stars: Sunset & Milky Way Everglades Photography Workshop with Anthony Sleiman. Click the link for all the details. Its being held on Saturday, October 10th from 6:00PM – 10:30PM. Meeting location is again Ernest Coe Visitor’s Center. 

SFNPCC encourages all members to take advantage of the great programs the FNPA has throughout the year.

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SFNPCC - SOCIAL MEDIA- FOLLOW US!

MEMBERSHIP INFO

We have a new member this month! Welcome to the club, Aurelio Vigil! Hope to see you at one of our upcoming events soon. Also, our renewal notices are being sent out a month in advance of your due date so you have time to renew. I want to thank everyone who has renewed and continues to renew each year. We’re a small but active group, and I’d like to keep that going! Your membership is greatly appreciated!

I have SFNPCC BUSINESS CARDS (if you want them)! Come see me at the meeting or any in-person event, and I’ll give you a few for you to share with prospective members (or let them scan the QR code on the back of the card).

Not yet a member, or know someone who would like to join? Send them this newsletter and have them click the link below to join!

Be sure to check out our “OUR MEMBERS” tab on our website. All members can participate, just email us a thumbnail photo of yourself, or a logo, and include any links you like, your website, social media links, and maybe a short bio. Click below to go to the website and see what all the others have shared!

Want to participate? Send us an email HERE with your images & links!

WED. SEPT. 9TH - MEETING

ATTENDING IN PERSON? YOU DO NOT NEED TO PRE-REGISTER - JUST SHOW UP.

ATTENDING VIA ZOOM? YOU NEED TO PRE-REGISTER (AT LEAST) 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE! GO TO OUR WEBSITE TO FIND OUT HOW.

Click the link or image above for all the meeting details on our website, and for the link to register for the ZOOM with the library. SFNPCC is no longer in charge of meeting Zooms.

🌎 Pinecrest Library Location - 5835 SW 111th Street, Pinecrest 🌎

Hope to see you all there!

SAT. SEPT. 12TH - FIELD TRIP

Click the link or image above for all the details on our website.

RSVP by clicking the button below. Hope to see you all there!

WED. SEPT. 16TH - PHOTO FINISH

I’M PROCESSING YOUR NIGHT PHOTOS!

Click the link or image above for all the details on our website.

Hope to see you all there!

WED. SEPT. 23RD - "FRAMEIT!”

Tonight’s “FrameIt!” theme is “Street Photography”. Have fun! 

Click the link or image above for all the details on our website.   

Click the button below for the Zoom meeting or wait for the emailed invitation. Hope to see you all there!

That’s all I have for this month. Hope to see you all at our upcoming events!

Please remember to RSVP.  Thanks so much!  😁

Sincerely,
Delfin Hernandez, President
Oscar Lopez, Vice President
Barbara Livieri, Secretary/Treasurer 

• Our regular monthly meetings are ‘hybrid’ meetings, held via Zoom (recorded for viewing on our website) AND in-person at the Pinecrest Library, 5835 S.W. 111th Street, in Pinecrest, near the Pinecrest Gardens. Google Maps is here. 

• All events are listed in the Events section of our website. The website contains the most up to date info. Anything you see here in the newsletter or on Facebook is purely a reminder, and any "likes" or "going" clicks ARE NOT considered a proper RSVP for field trips. Please email us with your intention to attend a field trip at info@sfnpcc.org If you need complete info about any of our events, head to the website. 

Note:
For further information on our meetings, field trips and workshops, please visit our website at www.sfnpcc.org.

Members:  
Please feel free to invite a friend to our meetings and help us grow.  If you would like to participate in the field trips or workshops, please RSVP by sending an e-mail to info@sfnpcc.org.

Non-Members:  
Non-members are always welcome to attend our meetings at the Pinecrest Library. For all other events, you are welcome to attend one time to ‘test drive’. Please click on the JOIN SFNPCC button above for further membership information. If you would like to participate in our field trips, there is a $10 fee (after your first free-bee) to attend each field trip. Also, if you would like to participate in our workshops, the workshop fee is posted on our website. Please RSVP by sending an e-mail to info@sfnpcc.org and payment is accepted through our website at www.sfnpcc.org.