Seasoned pro or just starting out with fireworks photos: come enjoy an evening of photographing fireworks at this year’s CarmelFest!

CarmelFest fireworks in 2026 will cap off the Independence Day celebrations on Saturday, July 4th at 9:45 PM. The spectacular pyrotechnic display will be launched over the Carmel Civic Square area, with the best viewing available at the Carter Green. [1 (https://indyschild.com/carmelfest-celebration/), 2 (https://indyschild.com/fireworks-in-indianapolis/)]

Want to connect with other club members, reach out over the MEMBERS ONLY GroupMe app!

Event & Viewing Details

• Date: Saturday, July 4, 2026

• Time: 9:45 PM – 10:45 PM

• Location: Carter Green and Carmel Civic Square (1 Civic Square, Carmel, IN)

• Music Sync: The fireworks are synchronized with a musical score broadcasted live on WHJE 91.3 FM.[1 (https://www.carmelfest.net/event-schedule/spectacular-fireworks-show), 2 (https://www.visithamiltoncounty.com/listing/carmelfest/295/), 3 (https://indyschild.com/fireworks-in-indianapolis/)]

Enjoy your Independence Day celebration weekend!

Consider photographing one of the many firework displays over the holiday:

Carmel

• CarmelFest Fireworks: Held on July 4th at 9:45 PM. The best viewing areas are around Civic Square, the Carter Green, and the Carmel Ice Skadium. [1, 2]

Fishers

• Nickel Plate District Viewing: Happens on July 4th at 10:00 PM (launched from Holland Park). You can watch throughout downtown Fishers and the Nickel Plate District, with a free Groovesmash concert on the NPD AMP lawn starting at 8:00 PM.

• Geist Reservoir: A popular localized display takes place over the reservoir on July 4th around 10:00 PM. [1, 2]

Downtown Indianapolis

• Star Spangled Sky Drone Show: To kick off the country's 250th milestone early, White River State Park is hosting a special light show on June 27th. Running from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM, the night features a 13.5-minute patriotic display utilizing 200 synchronized drones over the skyline.

• Downtown Indy's Fourth Fest: Held on July 4th at the American Legion Mall. The street festival begins at 6:00 PM with live music from Toy Factory and Pavel & Direct Contact, leading up to the 10:00 PM rooftop fireworks display. [1, 2, 3]

Indianapolis Metro Area

• Beech Grove All-American Day: Located just south of downtown at Sarah T. Bolton Park on July 3rd. This community festival features local vendors, music, and food starting at 5:00 PM, with fireworks launching at dusk (around 10:00 PM).

• Star-Spangled Symphony: Hosted by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra at Conner Prairie from July 2nd to July 4th. The patriotic concerts begin at 8:00 PM each night and conclude with a spectacular fireworks finale right after the music. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Westfield

• Westfield Rocks the 4th: Hosted on July 4th at the Grand Park Sports Campus. The festivities run from 4:00 PM to 10:30 PM, with the fireworks capping off the night at 10:00 PM. [1, 2]

Noblesville

• Noblesville Fourth of July Festival: Takes place on July 4th at Forest Park. The celebration includes an afternoon parade and live entertainment, followed by fireworks at 10:00 PM. [1, 2]

Zionsville

• Zionsville Lions Club Fourth of July: Festivities kick off at 5:00 PM on July 4th at Zionsville Lions Park, with the display launching at 10:00 PM. [1]

For a complete lineup of festival hours, road closures, and parking information, be sure to check the official CarmelFest Event Guide or browse the Visit Indy Independence Day Guide for even more regional options. [1, 2, 3]

If you are looking to travel outside of the Carmel area, let me know what direction you are willing to drive or if you prefer family-focused daytime festivals prior to the fireworks. I can provide a more tailored list!

By entering your images in this competition, you are giving permission for any winning images to be posted on the PVCC webpage, Facebook or Instagram page for all to enjoy. If you would prefer not to have your winning images shared on the internet, please email us at pvcccontest@gmail.com to request they not be shared.

You should receive a confirmation email from the competition account saying “Thank you for your email to pvcccontest”.

A fiscal year-end is the final day of a 12-month accounting period used by businesses, nonprofits, and governments to track financial performance, budgeting, and taxes. Unlike a calendar year (which always ends December 31), organizations select year-end dates tailored to their operational cycles or natural off-seasons.

Photo Venture Camera Club’s fiscal year ends on 6/30

Meeting Location: Zoom

Presenter Chris LeSesne

Join us for club member Chris LeSesne's presentation on his photo pilgrimage tracing the steps of aviation from Kitty Hawk to Oshkosh. 

“I was a Navy brat. My father worked for the Navy for about 40 years. By the time I was 14 I had seen or been aboard carriers, submarines, DEs, DDs, Tenders etc. My fascination was naval aircraft. Like my father I wanted to be an aviator.”

According to PVCC Bylaws, a nominating committee shall be established by the President at the last meeting in April.

Nominations shall be presented to the club at the first meeting in June.

Nominations may be accepted from the floor, with the prior concurrence of the nominee. The election shall be the third meeting in June.

Current 2026-27 Officer Nominations:

• President: TBD

• Vice President- TBD

• Secretary- TBD

• Treasurer- Bill Bubenzer

Current 2026-27 Committee Chair Appointments:

• Competitions: Chris LeSesne and John Toksoy

• Field Trips: TBD

• Historian/ Librarian: Eric Schoch

• Membership: TBD

• Programs: Sandy Stawiasz

• Website: Bill Bubenzer

(photo by Bill Bubenzer)

SPECIAL NOTE:

Please turn in digital files of the images, on June 4, that you will submit in print form for the Indiana State Fair Club Competition on June 20. You can submit them to pvcccontest@gmail.com If you have any questions, please reach out to Jay van Saten at jay@vscwebgroup.com

Location: Indianapolis Art Center

We’ll gather at 7 pm for informal discussion and then start the formal meeting at 7:30.

Bring your print entries to this meeting

Members will select 5 images, which will then be submitted as a Club entry this year. Members can submit 4 prints of their choice for this competition.

Any member image submitted for competition during the previous 10 months shall be eligible. The image need not have been previously placed to be eligible.

The re-editing and processing of entries is permitted, especially if in response to suggestions made by competition judges. Prints may be re-mounted and/or re-printed.

Or, members can submit new photos in print format for selection.

Previously submitted Indiana State Fair Entry photos are not eligible for selection and will not be considered for entry per the State Fair's rules.

Please bring to the June 13 meeting your prints (8”x10" to 16”x20" in size).

Members will vote on their choices for the 5 slots, and all submissions must be from different members.

The "top five" selections will be asked to send digital files to the Club competition email address. Eric Schoch has graciously agreed to print and mount all images.

Visit our Competition Rules page for the latest information

Click here for the 2026 Indiana State Fair Entry Book

Our online meetings are limited to paid members, who receive a Zoom link via email each week. If you would like a temporary pass to attend a meeting, contact one of our officers.

WHILE YOU ARE HERE, GO AHEAD AND DOWNLOAD OUR WAIVER OF LIABILITY FORM (REQUIRED FOR ALL FIELD TRIPS).

Location: Zoom

Bring 5 - 7 images from this past year's club events and share your editing tricks, what you learned from a presentation / photo shoot or just what you enjoyed doing this past year.

This can be helpful with developing next year's programming.

We're also, as always, looking for people to volunteer to present or help us put together a featured speaker program, so bring your ideas and be prepared to roll up your sleeves and make this next year even better!

According to PVCC Bylaws, a nominating committee shall be established by the President at the last meeting in April.

Nominations shall be presented to the club at the first meeting in June.

The bylaws state nominations may be accepted from the floor, with the prior concurrence of the nominee. The election shall be the third meeting in June.

Since we are not meeting in person June 4, please email your nominations to President Paul at president@photoventure.org

Current 2026-27 Officer Nominations:

• President: Vernon Jones

• Vice President- Open

• Secretary- Open

• Treasurer- Bill Bubenzer

Current 2026-27 Committee Chair Appointments:

• Competitions: Chris LeSesne and John Toksoy

• Field Trips: Robert Candis and Bryant Pedigo

• Historian/ Librarian: Eric Schoch

• Membership: Jennifer Spence

• Programs: Sandy Stawiasz and Cindy Breneman

• Website: Bill Bubenzer

Dress Rehearsal, PVCC members only. Arrive early enough to get set up and ready to go by performance start time

GHDT closes its Tarkington Season with another epic masterpiece from the talented team of Cory Gabel (Music) and Gregory Glade Hancock (Choreography, Costumes).  ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA is inspired by Shakespeare’s play of the same title, however, GHDT’s adaptation is set in Club Isis and is the story of rival performers in the nightclub, the complexities of relationships, and how choices control our fates. Antony, Cleopatra, Lamprius, Octavia, Octavian, Charmian, Iras, Enobarbus, and Eros are brought to life onstage as an eclectic cast of entertainers whose lives become intertwined in timeless tale of power and passion.  An ancient story told in a fresh and bold way for our new world.

Dress Rehearsal, PVCC members only. Arrive early enough to get set up and ready to go by performance start time

GHDT closes its Tarkington Season with another epic masterpiece from the talented team of Cory Gabel (Music) and Gregory Glade Hancock (Choreography, Costumes).  ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA is inspired by Shakespeare’s play of the same title, however, GHDT’s adaptation is set in Club Isis and is the story of rival performers in the nightclub, the complexities of relationships, and how choices control our fates. Antony, Cleopatra, Lamprius, Octavia, Octavian, Charmian, Iras, Enobarbus, and Eros are brought to life onstage as an eclectic cast of entertainers whose lives become intertwined in timeless tale of power and passion.  An ancient story told in a fresh and bold way for our new world.

Meeting Location: Zoom

Tonight has been set aside for a meeting of Photo Venture officers and committee chairs. However, any interested club members are welcome to attend.

The final agenda will be posted here.

This will be an in-depth session tackling a broad range of topics -- membership, competitions, programs, new ways to communicate with the club, our Facebook and web pages, field trips, meeting presentations, the works. If you have ideas, we want to hear them

Meeting Location: Zoom

Location: Zoom

Join us as club member Joe Phillips shows us how he combines interesting and complementary backgrounds using Photoshop to make his images pop!

If you tend to edit in Lightroom and stop there, Joe will hopefully inspire you to move your image into Photoshop and take it a creative leap further.

Joe has had much success in our monthly competitions as well as being selected to represent the club in our State Fair entry, so he knows a thing or 6 about creating a great image. 

Click here to download Joe’s handout for Thursday night

Program starts at 5:30, so arrive by 5:00 PM to get your spot.

From Jennifer at Winter Club Indy:

Thank you so much for photographing our Winter Program. Our club members truly appreciated the opportunity, and the photos turned out beautifully. We saw so many great images in the album, and I know our skaters and families are enjoying them just as much as we enjoyed having you there.

Our end-of-season Awards Show and Senior Recognition is coming up May 7. This event celebrates our skaters from the season and recognizes our graduating seniors; it will run much like the Holiday Program. It would be wonderful to have you there if your schedule allows.

Note: This is an early meeting. Afterwards we could either get dinner as a group or do some evening light photography around Fishers. Sunset is 8:45. Please let Sandy know by May 1 if you plan to attend and if you're interested in either dinner or more photography (or neither).

Monthly PVCC photography competitions are open to all PVCC members in good standing and are free to enter. Competitions are intended to enhance our technical and creative skills behind the lens and during post-processing.

Our judge for this critique is Louis Miller:
Louis Miller, born on 10/19/1942, resides in Livonia, Michigan. He joined PSA in 2019 and is the Membership Director for Ohio Valley and Michigan. He belongs to the West Oakland and Motor City Camera Clubs and has 20 years of photography experience. His interests include travel, nature, monochrome, and flower photography.

Website: https://lem13.myportfolio.com/

In anticipation of this year's State Fair competition, join us as IPPG President and award winning photographer Rick Pranitis discusses what makes a winning image. IPPG sponsors the state fair competition and Rick is well versed in what the judges are looking for when scoring images. Tonight's program will help you select and edit your images to contribute to Photo Venture's entry in the camera club portion of the competition.

Jay van Santen will also be on hand to go over the club entry selection process which happens at our June meeting. Bring your questions!

About our speaker:

My name is Rick Pranitis, owner of TigerCat Photography. I am an award winning Certified Professional Photographer as designated by the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). Capturing the world in photos has been a passion of mine for over forty years. My images have appeared in magazines, business journals and newsletters, newspapers (online and in print), professional photo galleries and personal homes and albums across the country.

As a professional photographer and business owner I'm guided by three core values; Integrity, Service and Excellence. By adhering to these core values I've gained the trust of my clients, created value for their investment in my services, and built a reputation as a professional and reliable business partner.

I offer fine art portraits and professional headshots for corporate publication, online profiles or professionally printed wall art and albums. I can fulfill your needs for high quality portrait images either in studio or on location. Fully insured and bonded, insurance certificate available upon request.

Derek grew up in Madison County, Indiana, just northeast of Indianapolis. His uncle was a professional photographer for a local paper, so his interest in photography developed early on by asking questions and admiring his uncle's work. Derek also learned to love the outdoors at an early age while camping with his dad. After Derek graduated high school he enlisted in the Air Force and learned his professional trade in electronics working on various military aircraft. This took Derek to many countries and he even lived in England for a year. Derek bought a nice film SLR film camera to snap some memories while getting deployed around the world in the 1990's. Derek bought several point and shoot cameras as life went on and continued enjoying preserving many memories with his enthusiast camera equipment.

In 2017 Derek bought a used interchangeable camera from a co-worker which peaked a more serious interest in photography. He had the chance to photograph the Great America Solar Eclipse of 2017 and he was hooked on the aspect of taking difficult and unique shots of the night sky and hasn't looked back!

Friends and family persuaded Derek to post more often, then strangers started asking for prints, and here we are today. Derek loves making people smile by brightening their day with a photo. Photography in nature and under the stars has been his therapy as well. Derek enjoys creating unique shots while being out in nature.

In 2019 Derek won a contest through a popular astronomy store shooting the lunar eclipse. Needless to say he was shocked that he won a contest with entries from all over the world! Derek keeps seeking to improve his skills and capturing those one of a kind images. Derek hopes his photos can make your day a little brighter as well!

You can find Derek's collections of images on various sites You can find them listed them in his linktr.ee page: https://links.capturedbyderek.com

Feel free to email Derek with any questions! He'll do his best to respond within 1 business day: derek@capturedbyderek.com

Mélange shows are Saturday and Sunday

Saturday performances are at 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM.

Sunday’s performance begins at 3:00 PM

Mélange: concoction, mixture, combination. In this new series of performances, audiences will experience art coming to life in front of their eyes in an intimate theatrical setting. Each series will feature a musician (a vocalist or instrumentalist), a dancer (from Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre), and a visual artist. Together they will create art at The Florence (Carmel’s newest black-box theatre space), in a collaborative and organic manner. The musician will present a set of music, while the dancer creates choreography inspired by the music, and the visual artist creates art inspired by the movement of the dancer and the music of the musician. Audiences will experience live art in a new manner, bringing groundbreaking and creative art to Central Indiana.

Mélange shows are Saturday and Sunday

Saturday’s performance begins at 5:00 PM

Sunday’s performance begins at 3:00 PM

Mélange: concoction, mixture, combination. In this new series of performances, audiences will experience art coming to life in front of their eyes in an intimate theatrical setting. Each series will feature a musician (a vocalist or instrumentalist), a dancer (from Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre), and a visual artist. Together they will create art at The Florence (Carmel’s newest black-box theatre space), in a collaborative and organic manner. The musician will present a set of music, while the dancer creates choreography inspired by the music, and the visual artist creates art inspired by the movement of the dancer and the music of the musician. Audiences will experience live art in a new manner, bringing groundbreaking and creative art to Central Indiana.

Hours/ Fees 10am - 2pm Plan to meet inside entrance by 10:30am; tour begins at 11am
Fee $6.00 

Please note: Completely closed, thick soled shoes MUST be worn (sneakers ok)

Tripods allowed
Free parking on site

More info about the company
765- 457-1829

Meeting Location: Zoom

Winter won't go away. Spring monsoon season is upon us. Too cold, too wet, too gray. But it's time to take some family photos! What to do when natural light won't cooperate?

Join us tonight as Greg Kicinski guides us through use of basic speedlights and modifiers. Not big studio rigs, just things you already have or might want to get, so you can create masterpieces in your studio at home. We will begin with a short presentation and then have both studios and each other as models to practice. This is a learning program designed for the amateur, less experienced photographer but presented by a real professional! 

Bring your camera and lens, tripod, speedlight(s), trigger and questions. We will have access to Focus On's modifiers but will NOT be using any studio lights. 

"My wife and I have lived in Carmel Indiana for 22 years. I have spent the last 37 years developing and delivering major transportation projects around the state of Indiana. It has been a passion of mine to help improve the community that we live in (maybe after a little pain), through making our roadways more efficient and safer. However, I have decided that it is now time to more fully pursue another passion that I have had for over 20 years. I love photographing people. I love putting people in the perfect light for a headshot or individual or family portrait, or catching them in their peak music or sports performance or their interactions at special events. To me it is all about catching them at their best and then watching their reaction to the results.

I am happy to announce that I have recently opened my new studio here in Carmel so that I can provide the highest quality photo sessions year round regardless of weather conditions while using professional lighting for amazing results."        Greg Kicinski

Join for for an evening with Suzanne Stanis, Vice President at Indiana Landmarks.

Suzanne will share some of Indiana’s hidden gems, showing us some of the lesser known, wonderful locations around the state to create award winning images.

Hidden Gems

Indiana Landmarks uses insider knowledge to highlight historic places worth a visit, from the quirky to the sublime: small towns, neighborhoods, restaurants, shops, parks, cemeteries, scenic drives,museums -- you get the idea. Join Suzanne Stanis for a look at Indiana’s favorite hidden gems from the shell-covered St. Anne Chapel at St. Mary-of-the-Woods in Terre Haute, to Evansville’s 9 ½ foot tall Vulcan statue.

Suzanne Stanis serves as the vice president of Heritage Education at Indiana Landmarks. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Hanover College and a Master of Library Science from Indiana University. Suzanne oversees Indiana Landmarks’ Indianapolis tours, the heritage tourism divisions of West Baden Springs/French Lick Springs hotels, and Samara, a notable Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in West Lafayette.

With over three decades at Indiana Landmarks, Suzanne has contributed to historic preservation by researching and successfully nominating more than fifteen buildings and neighborhoods to the National Register of Historic Places. Additionally, Suzanne manages the organization’s reference library.

Our April Topic is "Eat and be Merry." That should explain itself, but you might also include "drink" if that works. Our judge is Henry Heerschap.

Henry is a Seattle native and has lived in the area for most of his life. His work reflects his deep Northwest roots. His photographic first love is landscape, both the grand landscape and smaller, more intimate scenes. He is especially drawn to flowing and still water. He also enjoys documenting old cars, buildings and other reminders of bygone days.

Infrared photography is one of his favorite genres. He has several cameras that have had the infrared blocking filter removed from the digital sensor. This changes the kind of light reaching the sensor, making the camera more sensitive to the infrared light spectrum. Plants and foliage whiten and skies and water go dark. While he occasionally processes color infrared images, Henry prefers converting to black and white to emphasize the shapes and textures of the subject. 

Over the past decades, his work has won awards and has sold at different art shows in the Northwest including the Arts of the Terrace in Mountlake Terrace, the Edmonds Arts Festival, the Shoreline Arts Festival, the Kenmore Arts Fair, the Evergreen State Fair, and the Washington State Fair in Puyallup. He has had his work shown in galleries in Seattle and San Diego.

Visit his Internet presence at: 

https://henryheerschap.com/
https://www.instagram.com/henry.heerschap/

Monthly PVCC photography competitions are open to all PVCC members in good standing and are free to enter. Competitions are intended to enhance our technical and creative skills behind the lens and during post-processing.

Dress Rehearsal, PVCC members only. Arrive early enough to get set up and ready to go by performance start time

What would you sacrifice for love?

GHDT’s epic masterpiece returns to The Tarkington stage the week prior to Passover. Inspired by the Book of Exodus, but adapted to our modern world, EXODUS is a cautionary tale of hatred and ignorance. The ten modern plagues include desecration of the Earth, gun violence, racism, war, poverty, crime, social media, government, selfishness, and death of the first born. Set to a score of epic symphonic and choral music and enhanced with complex visual artistry, EXODUS transports the audience into an emotional story of love and sacrifice. The talented cast leads the audience through thematic stories of oppression, emigration and freedom, and speaks to human rights and equality that resonate today in our global world.

“Absolutely breathtaking.” “A magical and unforgettable work of art.” “Nothing in my life prepared me for the majesty of the production of EXODUS.”

Dress Rehearsal, PVCC members only. Arrive early enough to get set up and ready to go by performance start time

What would you sacrifice for love?

GHDT’s epic masterpiece returns to The Tarkington stage the week prior to Passover. Inspired by the Book of Exodus, but adapted to our modern world, EXODUS is a cautionary tale of hatred and ignorance. The ten modern plagues include desecration of the Earth, gun violence, racism, war, poverty, crime, social media, government, selfishness, and death of the first born. Set to a score of epic symphonic and choral music and enhanced with complex visual artistry, EXODUS transports the audience into an emotional story of love and sacrifice. The talented cast leads the audience through thematic stories of oppression, emigration and freedom, and speaks to human rights and equality that resonate today in our global world.

“Absolutely breathtaking.” “A magical and unforgettable work of art.” “Nothing in my life prepared me for the majesty of the production of EXODUS.”

We have a STUDIO OPEN REHEARSAL (The Florence) on March 20 at 6:30 pm. For this rehearsal please RSVP at the link below.

[https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/exodus-open-rehearsal](https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/exodus-open-rehearsal)

Monthly PVCC photography competitions are open to all PVCC members in good standing and are free to enter. Competitions are intended to enhance our technical and creative skills behind the lens and during post-processing.

Our judge will be Greg Mitchell:

“If the photographer is interested in the people in front of his lens, and if he is compassionate, it’s already a lot. The instrument is not the camera but the photographer.”— Eve Arnold

Greg Mitchell:
I started my photography journey while attending elementary school in Muncie Indiana. My father was our family shutterbug and I can say my first influence into the art form. At that time, using his Yashica 35mm camera, most of my images were of family vacations and members of our family. I developed my first roll of film and used a darkroom kit that he purchased from the Sears & Roebuck catalog while in elementary school. Moving along, I did some photography for the high school. After college and moving to Indianapolis, I embraced the world of photography and have engaged in and seen the changes over the years. I started a part time job at Post Photo on North Delaware, later worked at David Camera Repair on Rockville Road. Then, I accepted the offer of a position at Robert’s Distributors. My growing wedding shooting interfered with Saturday workdays. So, I opened a commercial studio in Irvington to complement that. However, the business side of a storefront was something unfamiliar to me, and I closed the studio with no regrets. I became a contract photographer for an upscale photography studio and did wedding and event photography for over twenty years. I did official photography for all construction on the Indianapolis Victory Field baseball stadium. I became the official photographer for the Indiana House of Representatives for twenty years. During these times I was also an instructor for Continuing Education in photography for IUPUI. I’ve judged and critiqued at local photography clubs and at the Greenfield Riley Days Photography competition for the last five years. But through it all, I’ve never lost the excitement and feelings of hearing that shutter sound and “hoping” I’ve captured that moment in time.