Author Archives: Art Arizpe

January 2026

Hill Country Photography Club Posted on by

Our next meeting is on Thursday, January 15th, 7:00 pm, at First Lutheran Church!

We will elect Officers for 2026 at this meeting.

Come early to visit and share with your fellow photographers.

Agenda

  • 6:30 Set up and social time.
  • 7:00 Welcome and Member News
  • 7:10 Quote of the Month
  • 7:15 Announcements
  • 7:30 Program: My Photographic Journey
  • 8:15 – Member Photo Share

Program: My Photographic Journey – Dave DeVore

Dave will be showing his photo contest entries from 2020 to present. In the process, he’ll tell the backstory behind many of them and the techniques, planning and preparation that went into them. He’s hoping club members of all levels of experience will take away something they can apply to their own photography work.

Dave has enjoyed photography since boyhood, beginning with Brownie, Instamatic and Polaroid One-step cameras as his family’s photographer. His first digital cameras were Kodak and Sony point and shoots for mission trips to Mexico, tours of Europe, Israel and Egypt. This opened a whole new world, no more double prints, pictures were free at last! He has done mission work in Kenya since 2009 using various superzoom cameras on safaris. He chose a DSLR in 2012 and as nature photography became a passion, he progressed through the Nikon lineup, shooting over 300,000 images with a D500 alone. He went mirrorless with a Z6II and graduated to a Z8. He’s out in nature nearly every morning regardless of what part of the world he finds himself in, camera in hand. Since 2019, he has taken groups to the Texas coast and to New Mexico for nature workshops.

He became a drone photographer/videographer in 2021 and has held an FAA commercial license since 2023.

© Dave DeVore
© Dave DeVore
© Dave DeVore

Member Photo Share Theme: Monumental

This word has a lot of applications . . . a statue in the town square, a dinner of prodigious portions, a memorable blunder, or a magnificent mountain scape.  In general terms: think of commemorative, big, breathtaking, unforgettable scenes. Creativity is always appreciated.

So, let your imagination roam as you create or select two pictures to send to Jerry Sargent at photos@jerrysargent.com

Dues

Annual dues are a bargain at $12 per year. If you haven’t renewed, you may pay at the meeting, or use our PayPal by using this link, or you can mail your check to Winifred Simon at 600 Red Hawk Road, Wimberley, TX  78676. (Only paid members may post on our HCPC Members Facebook page.  If you are a paid member and cannot access the account, ask Charlie Kreitler, our admin, to allow you access.

Social Media

We have two Facebook Pages — Public and Members Only.   

If you have any news or stories you’d like to have included in the newsletter, please send them to hcphotoclub@gmail.com.

November 2025

Hill Country Photography Club Posted on by

Our next meeting is on Thursday, November 20th, 7:00 pm, at First Lutheran Church!

Come early to visit and share with your fellow photographers.

Agenda

  • 6:30 Set up and social time.
  • 7:00 Welcome and Member News
  • 7:10 Quote of the Month
  • 7:15 Announcements
  • 7:30 Program: So you want to go on a photo tour!
  • 8:15 – Member Photo Share

Program: So you want to go on a photo tour! – Warren Capps

As a veteran of over 30 photo workshops/tours and operator/assistant for over 10 photo workshops/tours, Warren has learned from experience what to look out for on a photo tour. He will cover three topics: purchasing, planning, and executing. Learn from his mistakes and observations over 30 years!

Warren has been using a camera for nearly 50 years primarily as a hobbyist but occasionally venturing into professional work. His photography education is haphazard and desultory at best, although he has expressed a particular fondness for travel workshops and tours, having attended or run over 40 over the years. He has also served as a photography judge for the Hays County Livestock Show and the Texas State 4-H photography division. His work has been selected for recognition by the Photographers of Dripping Springs (PODS), the Amanda Smith Gallery in Johnson City TX, the Hive Gallery in Bee Cave TX and the Hill Country Alliance annual calendar. He has had two shows at the Mercer St Gallery in Dripping Springs. He is a past President of PODS. His equipment specialty is Olympus (OM Systems) gear, going back to the first OM-1n camera he bought back in 1979 (which he still has and uses).

Member Photo Share Theme: Architecture

Architecture is usually defined as anything designed, drawn, or constructed by human hand. That would obviously include buildings seen in downtown Austin or San Antonio, but also a rustic cabin, a bridge, or an historical storefront in Smithville.  However, architecture is also used in descriptions of natural objects such as bird nests or sand dunes.  So, let your imagination roam as you create or select two pictures to send to Jerry Sargent at photos@jerrysargent.com.

Election of Officers for 2026 will take place at the January 15th meeting.  I hope those currently serving will do so for another year. However, nominations will be open and can be made by email or from the floor.

Dues

Annual dues are a bargain at $12 per year. If you haven’t renewed, you may pay at the meeting, or use our PayPal by using this link, or you can mail your check to Winifred Simon at 600 Red Hawk Road, Wimberley, TX  78676. (Only paid members may post on our HCPC Members Facebook page.  If you are a paid member and cannot access the account, ask Charlie Kreitler, our admin, to allow you access.

Social Media

We have two Facebook Pages — Public and Members Only.   

If you have any news or stories you’d like to have included in the newsletter, please send them to hcphotoclub@gmail.com.

2025 Naturescapes Exhibition

Hill Country Photography Club Posted on by

These are the 60 photographs and Award Winners, chosen by the 2025 Naturescapes Photography Contest Juror, Carol Watson. You can see the exhibition at the San Marcos Activity Center, Walkers’ Gallery, through October 24th, 2025.

We hope you enjoy the beautiful images from Hays and surrounding counties.

Congratulations to all!

October 2025

Hill Country Photography Club Posted on by

Our next meeting is on Thursday, October 16th, 7:00 pm, at First Lutheran Church!

Come early to visit and share with your fellow photographers.

Agenda

  • 6:30 Set up and social time.
  • 7:00 Welcome and Member News
  • 7:10 Quote of the Month
  • 7:15 Announcements
  • 7:30 Program: Works Completed and Works in Progress
  • 8:15 – Member Photo Share

Program: Works Completed and Works in Progress – Grant Fergeson

Grant Fergeson is working on two books. One on the Texas Hill Country and another on “abstract hearts.” Born in Austin and trained in geology, he is drawn to rivers, creeks, and springs of our region. His hope is to include entries from journalists, writers, poets and scientists as commentary to his Hill Country photographs.

His second project is from the studio. Using glass, foil, plastic, and other surfaces, he adds pigments to oil, alcohol, and other liquids to create abstract heart images. Perhaps reflecting on his own cardiac “debacle” in 2023, he wants to express gratitude and explore the possibilities of working with a single concept with many renditions, which he has named “Deeper into the Hearts.”

Grant was raised in Austin, educated at Southwest Texas State and UT Austin. His career kept him in Texas (Houston, San Antonio, and Corpus Christi) before he returned home to Austin.

His interest in photography goes back to the 1980s.  He counts the West Coast f/64 group, George Krause, and Paul Caponigro as influences. Although he started in traditional darkroom photography, he has since transitioned to digital work.  You can find out more about Grant and his work at the website grantfergeson.com. 

© Grant Fergeson
© Grant Fergeson
© Grant Fergeson

Member Photo Share Theme: Hill Country

We live on the edge of the Texas Hill Country, and many entries to Naturescapes feature Hill Country subjects. BUT, there is a lot more Hill Country located outside the counties included in that show. For those of us who range further afield, here is a chance to show off what the rest of the Hill Country has to offer photographers. And if you range even further, you may have images of “hill country” in other states or even continents. This month please send one or two images to share to Jim Philpott at J.PhilpottWoodturner@Gmail.Com.

Naturescapes Awards Reception

The reception was held at the San Marcos Activity Center, from 5 pm to 7 pm, on September 27th.

There is still time to invite friends to see the works hanging in the “Walkers Gallery.” Please remember all prints must be picked up at the San Marcos Activity Center on Saturday, October 25th, 2025, from 10:30am to 2:30pm

Dues

Annual dues are a bargain at $12 per year. If you haven’t renewed, you may pay at the meeting, or use our PayPal by using this link, or you can mail your check to Winifred Simon at 600 Red Hawk Road, Wimberley, TX  78676. (Only paid members may post on our HCPC Members Facebook page.  If you are a paid member and cannot access the account, ask Charlie Kreitler, our admin, to allow you access.

Social Media

We have two Facebook Pages — Public and Members Only.   

If you have any news or stories you’d like to have included in the newsletter, please send them to hcphotoclub@gmail.com.

September 2025

Hill Country Photography Club Posted on by

Our next meeting is on Thursday, September 18th, 7:00 pm, at First Lutheran Church!

Come early to visit and share with your fellow photographers.

Agenda

  • 6:30 Set up and social time.
  • 7:00 Welcome and Member News
  • 7:10 Quote of the Month
  • 7:15 Announcements
  • 7:30 Program: Panorama Techniques
  • 8:15 – Member Photo Share

Program: Panorama Techniques

The presentation will cover a brief history of the concept and early adoption of panorama images.  The techniques covered include single frame images, multi-frame images, software used and post processing of the images. The viewer will be introduced to the use of various focal length lens and what the results could be when using different lenses.  Samples images will be presented to demonstrate how panorama images take shape, and the final results of the technique of building a panorama.

Patrick St. Cin (pron. Saint Sin) has been involved in the fields of photography and lithography for over 50 years.  A former US Navy photographer, Patrick, was brought up through the ranks learning film photography and cinematography.  After a brief time as a freelance photographer in the Washington, D. C. metro area he attended the Rochester Institute of Technology, earning a B. S. In Photographic Science and Instrumentation.  This education led to a 25-year career as a lithographer and microscopist in the world of semiconductor manufacturing. He is a Certified Professional Photographer through the PPA and is the staff photographer for two magazines, Georgetown Neighbors and TeraVista Neighbors, both in the Georgetown/Round Rock areas where he lives with his wife, Judy.

© Patrick St. Cin
© Patrick St. Cin

Member Photo Share Theme: Shadows

Shadows are a pictorial element of many scenes. They may compliment or focus attention on the principal subject of a photograph, or they may be a problem to be solved by photographic technique or post processing skills. Sometimes the shadow is the reason for the photograph. Collect two of your photos where shadows are important to the final image. Send your Photo Share images to Jerry Sargent at photos@jerrysargent.com.

Naturescapes Awards Reception

The reception will be held at the San Marcos Activity Center, from 5 pm to 7 pm, on September 27th. Take a stroll along the Walker’s Gallery to see both Naturescapes photos and the Street companion show and stay to enjoy the awards ceremony.

Dues

Annual dues are a bargain at $12 per year. If you haven’t renewed, you may pay at the meeting, or use our PayPal by using this link, or you can mail your check to Winifred Simon at 600 Red Hawk Road, Wimberley, TX  78676. (Only paid members may post on our HCPC Members Facebook page.  If you are a paid member and cannot access the account, ask Charlie Kreitler, our admin, to allow you access.

Social Media

We have two Facebook Pages — Public and Members Only.   

If you have any news or stories you’d like to have included in the newsletter, please send them to hcphotoclub@gmail.com.

August 2025

Hill Country Photography Club Posted on by

Our next meeting is on Thursday, August 21st, 7:00 pm, at First Lutheran Church!

Come early to visit and share with your fellow photographers.

Agenda

  • 6:30 Set up and social time.
  • 7:00 Welcome and Member News
  • 7:10 Quote of the Month
  • 7:15 Announcements
  • 7:30 Program: Working with Antique Family Photographs
  • 8:15 – Member Photo Share

Program: Working with Antique Family Photographs

We all have them, in a drawer, a box, or an album, those old family photos. Some are faded, torn, even stained with the patina of the past. Sometimes we know the subjects and locations, sometimes not. What if we could restore these images with the modern tools at our disposal? This program will offer ways of scanning, copying, or photographing antique images and editing them to preserve both history and relationships. Our own Bill Galloway will lead a team of “experts” in presenting the program.

Member Photo Share Theme: Old Photos

Our photo sharing will be different this month. Please bring a couple of antique photos to the meeting. We want to see them, regardless of condition. They will be placed on a display table, and you will have an opportunity to talk about them as part of the program.

Naturescapes Awards Reception

The reception will be held at the San Marcos Activity Center, from 5 pm to 7 pm, on September 27th. Take a stroll along the Walker’s Gallery to see both Naturescapes photos and the Street companion show and stay to enjoy the awards ceremony.

Dues

Annual dues are a bargain at $12 per year. If you haven’t renewed, you may pay at the meeting, or use our PayPal by using this link, or you can mail your check to Winifred Simon at 600 Red Hawk Road, Wimberley, TX  78676. (Only paid members may post on our HCPC Members Facebook page.  If you are a paid member and cannot access the account, ask Charlie Kreitler, our admin, to allow you access.

Social Media

We have two Facebook Pages — Public and Members Only.   

If you have any news or stories you’d like to have included in the newsletter, please send them to hcphotoclub@gmail.com.

July 2025

Hill Country Photography Club Posted on by

Our next meeting is on Thursday, July 17th, 7:00 pm, at First Lutheran Church!

Come early to visit and share with your fellow photographers.

Agenda

  • 6:30 Set up and social time.
  • 7:00 Welcome and Member News
  • 7:10 Quote of the Month
  • 7:15 Announcements
  • 7:30 Program: In Shackleton’s Footsteps: South Georgia and Antarctica
  • 8:15 – Member Photo Share

Program: In Shackleton’s Footsteps: South Georgia and Antarctica with Dave Wilson

In December 2024, Dave Wilson and son Drew, joined a bucket-list expedition to South Georgia and Antarctica during which, by luck as much as by planning, they ended up visiting all the important sites related to the greatest rescue story ever told – the two year efforts of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition to get back to safety after their ship, Endurance, was stuck in pack ice. This presentation covers the important locations they visited and is illustrated by my photos and also those of Endurance photographer Frank Hurley.

“I’ve been an avid, mostly amateur, photographer for about 45 years during which time I’ve been fortunate enough to photograph such amazing things as Antarctic wildlife, motor racing at Circuit of the Americas, Texas rodeos, southwestern desert landscapes, family portraits and local community celebrations. I have also taught workshops at Precision Camera in Austin and have led photowalks around Central Texas. As you will note if you follow my daily photoblog (at http://www.davewilsonphotography.com) or Instagram account (@DaveWilsonPhotography), I have wide photographic interests but my current focus is on photojournalistic work. I’m a regular contributor to the Dripping Springs Century News and am proud to be one of the credentialed photographers for the UT Longhorn Band.”

Member Photo Share Theme: Eye Catchers

There are some objects that demand attention. They stop you in your tracks and dominate the scene you were photographing. They may be animals, vegetables, minerals, monumental, historical, architectural, cultural, etc. Select two of your images that caught your eye.

You are encouraged to send 2 images for this part of the meeting, on this topic … or another if you prefer. Please rename your images 1FirstName_LastName.jpg, 2FirstName_LastName.jpg and send to image.pngphotos@jerrysargent.com no later than July 15th to make sure they are included. This is mostly a Show and Tell time, but if you are looking for a critique or help with an image, you are welcome to ask for that sort of feedback.

Companion Photography Exhibit theme for 2025 is “Street”

Members of the HCPC are invited to submit images to be considered for our companion exhibition. The deadline is July 21st!

Dues

Annual dues are a bargain at $12 per year. If you haven’t renewed, you may pay at the meeting, or use our PayPal by using this link, or you can mail your check to Winifred Simon at 600 Red Hawk Road, Wimberley, TX  78676. (Only paid members may post on our HCPC Members Facebook page.  If you are a paid member and cannot access the account, ask Charlie Kreitler, our admin, to allow you access.

Social Media

We have two Facebook Pages — Public and Members Only.   

If you have any news or stories you’d like to have included in the newsletter, please send them to hcphotoclub@gmail.com.

June 2025

Hill Country Photography Club Posted on by

Our next meeting is on Thursday, June 19th, 7:00 pm, at First Lutheran Church!

Come early to visit and share with your fellow photographers.

Agenda

  • 6:30 Set up and social time.
  • 7:00 Welcome and Member News
  • 7:10
    • Quote of the Month
    • Naturescapes Photography Contest and Companion Show
  • 7:15 Announcements
  • 7:30 Program: Birding and Photography (A Marriage made in the Marsh)
  • 8:15 – Member Share Photos

Program: Birding and Photography (A Marriage made in the Marsh) with Janet Davis and Jeff Osborne

In January 2020, Jeff Osborne and Janet Davis vowed to become better birders. Once the pandemic hit their schedules changed dramatically. Birding became their respite, a socially distant balm. By June, they realized a Travis County Big Year was taking shape. Their talk will reflect upon their adventures and lessons learned.

Bio: Janet Davis and Jeff Osborne went to Horicon Marsh in southeastern Wisconsin to watch waterfowl on their second date back in 1988. They’ve been birding and hiking ever since. Jeff teaches high school Biology at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and Janet is a professor of American Studies and History at UT-Austin. Both regularly bring birding into their teaching.

Member Photo Share Theme: Water

The way our summer is progressing, water is going to be a scarce commodity. So, let’s remember and celebrate an abundance of water with pictures of rivers, oceans, waves, rain, fountains…anywhere that water provides a subject for our cameras (and phones). Think of it as a photographer’s community rain dance.

You are encouraged to send 2 images for this part of the meeting, on this topic … or another if you prefer. Please rename your images 1FirstName_LastName.jpg, 2FirstName_LastName.jpg and send to image.pngphotos@jerrysargent.com no later than May 13th to make sure they are included. This is mostly a Show and Tell time, but if you are looking for a critique or help with an image, you are welcome to ask for that sort of feedback.

Dues

Annual dues are a bargain at $12 per year. If you haven’t renewed, you may pay at the meeting, or use our PayPal by using this link, or you can mail your check to Winifred Simon at 600 Red Hawk Road, Wimberley, TX  78676. (Only paid members may post on our HCPC Members Facebook page.  If you are a paid member and cannot access the account, ask Charlie Kreitler, our admin, to allow you access.

Social Media

We have two Facebook Pages — Public and Members Only.   

If you have any news or stories you’d like to have included in the newsletter, please send them to hcphotoclub@gmail.com.

May 2025

Hill Country Photography Club Posted on by

Our next meeting is on Thursday, May 15th, 7:00 pm, at First Lutheran Church!

Come early to visit and share with your fellow photographers.

Agenda

  • 6:30 Set up and social time.
  • 7:00 Welcome and Member News
  • 7:10 Quote of the Month
  • 7:15 Announcements
  • 7:30 Program: On the Road
  • 8:15 – Member Share Photos

Program: “On the Road” with Dale Blasingame

Dale Blasingame is an associate professor of practice in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University – where he teaches classes involving social media, photography, and videography – and an Austin-based photographer and drone videographer.

Blasingame was the first person to visit every state park in Texas in one year and his dog, Lucy, is the only dog to accomplish seeing every park. The two were included in Texas Highways magazine’s 2016 list of Extraordinary Texans. Blasingame has two decades of experience as a travel writer. His work has been featured in publications like Texas Highways, Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine and the San Antonio Express-News – and he’s a co-author of Lonely Planet’s Texas, which will hit bookstores in August of 2025.

© Dale Blasingame
© Dale Blasingame

Member Photo Share Theme: On the Road

Summer is nearly upon us. That brings on the season for travel, and with travel comes lots of photo opportunities.  Whether its people, scenery, history, architecture, or the roads you have traveled, here is your chance to show off two of your favorite images from trips recently taken or from long ago.  If you take the topic literally, this field guide might prove useful for identifying your subject.

You are encouraged to send 2 images for this part of the meeting, on this topic … or another if you prefer. Please rename your images 1FirstName_LastName.jpg, 2FirstName_LastName.jpg and send to image.pngphotos@jerrysargent.com no later than May 13th to make sure they are included. This is mostly a Show and Tell time, but if you are looking for a critique or help with an image, you are welcome to ask for that sort of feedback.

Dues

Annual dues are a bargain at $12 per year. If you haven’t renewed, you may pay at the meeting, or use our PayPal by using this link, or you can mail your check to Winifred Simon at 600 Red Hawk Road, Wimberley, TX  78676. (Only paid members may post on our HCPC Members Facebook page.  If you are a paid member and cannot access the account, ask Charlie Kreitler, our admin, to allow you access.

Social Media

We have two Facebook Pages — Public and Members Only.   

If you have any news or stories you’d like to have included in the newsletter, please send them to hcphotoclub@gmail.com.

April 2025

Hill Country Photography Club Posted on by

There is a conflict with the 1st Lutheran Church meeting space for the 17th. We will be meeting at the San Marcos Public Library instead.

The address is 625 E Hopkins St, San Marcos, TX 78666. Look for the multipurpose room.

Our next meeting is on Thursday, April 17th, 7:00 pm, at First Lutheran Church!

Come early to visit and share with your fellow photographers.

Agenda

  • 6:30 Set up and social time.
  • 7:00 Welcome and Member News
  • 7:10 Quote of the Month
  • 7:15 Announcements
  • 7:30 Program: Capturing Texas Textures
  • 8:15 – Member Share Photos

Program: “Capturing Texas Textures” with Kat Swansey

Kat Swansey is a self-taught documentary photographer known for preserving the spirit of rural and abandoned Texas. Born and raised in Brenham, Texas, her small-town roots deeply influence her work, which highlights the beauty and stories of Texas’s backroads. Now based in Austin, Kat’s work celebrates the beauty, history, and resilience found along the backroads of the Lone Star State.

Kat’s photography spans from shuttered beer joints to national parks, revealing the diverse and rugged charm of Texas. Her acclaimed series, Texas Textures, features rich, vibrant images that highlight the state’s expansive blue skies and weathered structures. She recently released the second volume of this series, continuing her journey into the heart of Texas.

Kat’s work has drawn comparisons to renowned photographers like Walker Evans, William Eggleston, and Stephen Shore, earning her recognition in publications such as Texas Highways Magazine, Alcalde Magazine, and Fstoppers. She has also been featured on NPR’s Texas Standard and in numerous online publications.

See her work below.

© Kat Swansey
© Kat Swansey
© Kat Swansey
© Kat Swansey

Member Photo Share Theme: Arcs

Consider the graceful, curving lines which are an eye-pleasing element found abundantly in nature and in man-made objects. Think rainbows or the curving arches supporting bridges. Wander about and find some arcs to photograph in your environment. Or take a stroll through some of your image files and look for arcs lurking in your past compositions.

You are encouraged to send 2 images for this part of the meeting, on this topic … or another if you prefer. Please rename your images 1FirstName_LastName.jpg, 2FirstName_LastName.jpg and send to image.pngphotos@jerrysargent.com no later than April 15th to make sure they are included. This is mostly a Show and Tell time, but if you are looking for a critique or help with an image, you are welcome to ask for that sort of feedback.

Photo Excursion

AN EARLY MORNING WITH ATHENA AND OWL DOCENT/PHOTOGRAPHER BILL BOYD

Date: Saturday, May 10th

Location: Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Ave. South Austin

The center opens at 8:00 AM, allowing an early-morning shoot with Athena, the resident great horned owl, and her brood in the best lighting. Docent Bill Boyd will be available to suggest the best locations and techniques for photographing Athena’s nest. The Center also has a variety of native wildflowers in full spring bloom as well as interesting architecture to photograph.

There is a small admission charge. Parking is adjacent and free.

Dues

Annual dues are a bargain at $12 per year. If you haven’t renewed, you may pay at the meeting, or use our PayPal by using this link, or you can mail your check to Winifred Simon at 600 Red Hawk Road, Wimberley, TX  78676. (Only paid members may post on our HCPC Members Facebook page.  If you are a paid member and cannot access the account, ask Charlie Kreitler, our admin, to allow you access.

Social Media

We have two Facebook Pages — Public and Members Only.   

If you have any news or stories you’d like to have included in the newsletter, please send them to hcphotoclub@gmail.com.