What: Celebrate Peak Fall Color at the Covered Bridge tour
When: Meet at 10:30am on October 25, 2025
Where: Meet at the Billie Creek Village  parking lot (From Carmel plan on a 1 hr. 30 min drive via Highway 36)

Subject: Field Trip Update – Details for Saturday’s Covered Bridge Outing

Robert Candis and I made a reconnaissance visit in preparation for our field trip this Saturday, and it was well worth the trip! We wanted to share a few important details and updates.

We’ll meet at 10:30 AM at the Billie Creek Village parking lot, located just east of Rockville. As you enter, you’ll see a Welcome Center building—that’s where we’ll gather. (See attached photo.) There is plenty of parking available.

We also met with a few volunteers at Billie Creek Village, and they’re looking forward to having us as our first stop. . There’s quite a lot to explore at this first stop alone—three covered bridges (Beeson, Leatherwood, and Billie Creek)  plus several period buildings, including a church, bakery, and general store (both the bakery and store will be open) and if you like soda pop – the general store has an amazing selection of old brands. 

After Billie Creek Village, there are four additional covered bridges nearby:

·       Crooks Bridge

·       McAllister Bridge

·       Neet Bridge

·       Bridgeton Bridge (which also features a waterfall and mill)

While the waterfall at Bridgeton has less flow due to low water levels, it’s still a great photo opportunity. Bridgeton will be our final planned stop, but anyone who wishes to continue exploring will find several more bridges in the area to photograph. All of the bridges can be easily found using your phone’s navigation—just type in the bridge name.  At times there is no cell coverage but it’s sparce – most of the time there is good coverage. 

Because there are multiple stops, it will be difficult to stay together as one group throughout the day. Billie Creek Village will serve as our main meeting point, and from there, you’re welcome to explore at your own pace.

If you go at a leisurely pace, from Billie Creek to Bridgeton should take about 2 to 2.5 hours. 

As a final note – if you are planning on attending, please send me an email just so I have an idea as to how many to expect.   svkinzie@gmail.com

I’ve attached a few photos from our visit.

Thanks

Scott Kinzie

We hope you will join current and past members, and friends, of Photo Venture Camera Club this Thursday, October 23, at the Indianapolis Art Center as we celebrate our 50th anniversary.

We'll gather at 6 p.m. to meet and greet while checking out the photo display and our Memory Board. Club members will be on hand to answer your photography questions at the PVCC Help Desk. The formal program will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Over the years, PVCC has touched our lives and helped us:

• Deepen our love for photography

• Become better photographers

• Meet other photography enthusiasts

• Visit new places and attend exciting events

• Compete with others—and ourselves—by participating in competitions and critiques

Thursday we'll review 50 years of club accomplishments and activities. Hear what PVCC has meant to members, and share what the club has meant to you during our open floor session or via our Memory Board.

Enjoy the Atrium photo exhibition featuring images from club members, and view the slideshows running throughout the evening.

Bring any photography questions you may have to the PVCC Help Desk, located at the back of the auditorium. Members will be available to assist you.

We'll have a raffle, and everyone's welcome to register. We’ll be giving away club memberships and prizes at the end of the evening.

And we'll top off the evening with cake!

PLEASE NOTE:

It’s not too late to share your memories and images:

• Digital photos of events, field trips, members and anything representing PVCC. Upload your images here (put your name on the file).

• Two of your favorite digital photos that you took. Upload your images here (put your name on the file).

• Any PVCC memory items that you might have for the display table.

Also, send emails to secretary@photoventure.org:

• If you have a favorite club memory to share

• To let us know of members who have passed so we can celebrate them. If you think the family would like to attend, please send their email to include in the invitation list.

• To tell us when you attended PVCC and who the officers were during your time in the club.

• Any other item(s) that might add to the special event.

Performance begins at 6:30 PM, please arrive by 6:00 PM

Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre opens its Tarkington Season with THE CASKET GIRLS. This production features the spectacular, original music by award-winning composer, Cory Gabel, together with the powerful choreography of award-winning, GHDT choreographer and Executive Artistic Director, Gregory Glade Hancock. THE CASKET GIRLS, based on an actual vampire legend from 1750, weaves a tale set in New Orleans over the course of two centuries which is filled with vampires, voodoo, nuns, romance, love, intrigue, and murder! To help populate the new world and bring civility, The King of France sends daughters of well-educated, well-bred families to the city of New Orleans. After a series of unusual events the legend of The Casket Girls is born, and the vampire history of New Orleans begins. Join us, if you dare.

Location: Zoom

The topic for our October competition “Moments of Reflection”

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.

Meeting: Zoom

Join Ronda and Ryan, PVCC Members, as they share their experience traveling to Ecuador including the Galapagos islands and the Amazon rainforest in July.

They visited 8 islands and observed most of the endemic species found there. They will discuss the tour company, preparations, living aboard a yacht, challenging shooting conditions (from a moving zodiac to underwater), the equipment and share stories from their adventures.  Most importantly, they will have a few wildlife and landscape images to share with the group.

Join us for a visual tour of the beauty of the Palouse region of northwest US. Club member Michael Jack is an award winning landscape and travel photographer. He will share his insights and experiences from his adventure

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 is Gary Potts:

My photo journey began as a 14-year-old in Bedford, Indiana, when I worked part-time at a photo store and hobby supply owned by two wonderful people. They introduced me to f-stops, shutter speeds, film types, Kodak prints and slides. They gave me a wonderful Minolta AL for my high school graduation. In college at Purdue University, I became Photo Editor of the Purdue yearbook for the 1968 edition. In 1979 I first joined PSA, knowing little about the organization but wanting to learn more. I believe I entered my first international exhibition into CPID with slides in about 1982. I achieved little success and knew I had to further ramp up my skills, subject matter and technique. Photography is never-ending improvement to the maximum, and I’m reminded of it every time I get results back from one of the many exhibitions or salons.

Headquarters for Eli Lilly & Company was Indianapolis, Indiana, and this is where we called home for many years beginning in In Indianapolis, I became active in the Riviera Camera Club and served as its president in the late 90’s for several yearsI also served a year as one of the instructors in Jon Fishback’s Individualized Photography course and currently serve as a participant in Digital Study Group 66, Infrared Photography. I served two years as Executive Vice President of PSA International in 2017-2018.

Photographically, I earned the PPSA in 2013, the EPSA shortly after and was awarded the MPSA at the 2014 Annual Convention in Albuquerque. The Grand Master PSA was awarded in 2016; GMPSA/B followed in 2024. The Federation of International Photographic Art (FIAP) awarded me the Platinum distinction (EFIAP/p) in 2022.

My wife Sarah and I have been married for 56 years and have three sons and 9 wonderful grandchildren.

We will be getting updates from our previous brainstorming sessions. Our planning process has concluded. Thanks to all who have so faithfully participated!

We invite all club members to join the Board to hear the results of our planning -- both the vision as well as the people who will make it happen.

Join us to celebrate and move forward together! "Towards the next 50 years!"

OFFICERS 2025-26
President: Paul Schoon
Vice President: Vernon Jones (Jonesy)
Secretary: Mark Sachs
Treasurer: Bill Bubenzer
Past President: Vernon Jones (Jonesy)

Location: Zoom

The topic for our September competition is “Are We Having Fun Yet ?”

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.

Rick Lieder’s photography career began as a photojournalist, working for a bi-weekly newspaper, and the daily Ann Arbor News.

He moved to commercial photography and specialized in scientific, industrial, editorial and portraits. His work appeared in brochures, annual reports, and national magazines.

He has been creating fine art and illustration for many years. His art has appeared on award-winning novels ranging from mysteries and science fiction, to books based on the X-Files TV series and Newbery Award-winning books for children.
His fine art has been exhibited in galleries in the Midwest and Canada, and include painting, photography, and digital art.

His wildlife photography centers on backyard wildlife. These photographs capture the unique qualities of light interacting with the natural world, including luminous photographs of honey bees and small birds in flight, glowing fireflies mating and hovering over twilight fields, mosquitoes with a belly full of blood, and new-born praying mantis nymphs emerging from their egg cases.

His filmmaking was featured in the 2016 PBS NOVA program "CREATURES OF LIGHT", produced by National Geographic Television.

Rick’s picture books with novelist and poet Helen Frost are published by Candlewick Press, with museum exhibitions and book signings held at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art in 2012 and 2015:

• 2012: STEP GENTLY OUT▸ now in its 9th printing, along with a paperback edition.

• 2015: SWEEP UP THE SUN, featuring birds in flight, reviewed in the Sunday New York Times Book Review.

• 2016: AMONG A THOUSAND FIREFLIES.

• 2017: WAKE UP!, a book on new life.

• 2019: HELLO, I’M HERE!, Sandhill cranes start a family.

• 2022: WAIT – AND SEE, featuring praying mantids.

• 2024: THE MIGHTY POLLINATORS.


Links:
BugDreams.com    •    Wildlife
LostMirror.com       •    Street photography
Bluesky         •    @lostmirror.bsky.social

PHOTOGRAPHERS:
-PLEASE RSVP TO SANDY BY FRIDAY AUGUST 29, 2025
-PLEASE ARRIVE NO LATER THAN 6:00 PM.

Just like last year, we are part of the performance and will be sitting alongside the runway to capture the dancer models as they strut their stuff directly in front of us. Bring your camera, a portrait / wide angle lens and speedlight (optional), tripod (optional). We are also capturing the attendees and the environment pre-show.

This is a semi formal fundraiser for GHDT; our costume / dress code is something dark, dress slacks and shirt, sport coat optional for men; dresses or appropriately dressy dark outfit for women. (no jeans or T shirts). Bring your press pass badge from last year (our costume).

Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre presents FASHION AT THE FLORENCE: GHDT Costumes Past and Present on the Runway, at The Florence on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at 6:30 pm. 

This is a FUNDRAISING GALA to support the company’s new season.

GHDT is known for its costumes that range from simple elegance to fantastic fashion, and often with a global flair. Mr. Hancock makes or curates all the costumes for the company’s performances. This event is an opportunity to hear Mr. Hancock talk about the inspiration behind many of his creations and see them presented as fashion on the runway.

GHDT dancers, Board members, sponsors, and patrons will all be featured as models for this fabulous fashion event.

There will also be a Silent Auction featuring fashions from the show, and artwork by several of GHDT visual artist friends.

Seating is limited and due to the interest in this event, we expect tickets to sell out quickly. Reserve your tickets today.

Event for Ages 21+

Cocktail or Semi-formal Attire Requested 

A very special photo shoot opportunity:

Get Ready....Get Set.....Go!!!

Roll & Stroll for SBIND!

Join us for a fun-filled event that includes a family-friendly, one-mile walk around the Zionsville Lions Club Park. The purpose is to raise funds and bring Spina Bifida awareness to the community. It is followed by a day of fun for our participants and supporters. Activities will include:

• Animals show!

• Painting in the Park

• Visiting Sponsor and Resource Booths

• Adaptive Sport Demonstrations

• Games * Drawings * Much, much, more!

Event Date and Location:
Saturday September 13, 2025 9:30 AM EST - 1:00 PM EST
Zionsville Lions Club Park
11053 Sycamore Street
Zionsville, IN 46077

Registration starts at 9:30 am with volunteers starting to set up around 8:00 am. The pre-walk ceremonies begin at 11:00 with the walk to follow around 11:30 am. Lunch around 12:00 pm.

We plan to have the stickers (see image) to designate any who prefer not to be photographed.

Any questions can be directed to Mark Sachs marksachs@me.com or Jonesy mauitexas68@att.net

Thank you so much for your help again this year. It looks to be a beautiful day.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

We will be having a Photo Walk along the downtown canal to remember and photograph the 9/11, Medal of Honor memorial, and the USS Indianapolis Memorial.

We are Meeting at the 9/11 Memorial: Indiana 9/11 Memorial: 421 W Ohio St, Indianapolis, IN 46202

Other locations we will visit are:

• (9/11 Memorial is next to the IFD  Fire House #13: 439 W Ohio St, Indianapolis, IN 46202)

• Medal of Honor Memorial: 650 West Washington St, on the canal, Indianapolis

• USS Indianapolis Memorial: 692 Ellsworth St, on the canal, Indianapolis

Every American will forever feel the impact of the September 11, 2001 attacks. It is a hallow feeling that still resides in the hearts of us all. In the brief moments it took to execute the attacks, our lives changed forever; we realized our country was not impervious to outsiders, nor were we impervious to pain. 

Established in 2010, and expanded for the 20th anniversary in 2021, the Indiana 9/11 Memorial honors those who perished in the 9/11 attacks, and the United States service members who have lost their lives since in the War on Terror. Today we join together to compassionately honor and remember the 2,975 individuals who were killed on September 11, 2001, in the terrorist attacks on America, as well as those who were injured during the attacks, and the many who rose in service in response, the first responders, volunteers, rescue and recovery workers, uniformed safety personnel, and the hundreds of thousands of others who serve, or have served in our armed forces here at home and overseas.  

We will also visit the other memorials along the canal: The Medal of Honor Memorial and the USS Indianapolis Memorial. This is the 80th Anniversary of the loss of the USS Indianapolis.  I have met several of the survivors and am a close friend Karen Fuller the daughter of Richard Thelen (aka. Pops). His story of survival is amazing and one I will never forget and always be grateful for. Come remember these great heros and honor them with beautiful photographs.

• https://www.indianawarmemorials.org/explore/indiana-9-11-memorial/

• https://www.indianawarmemorials.org/explore/medal-of-honor-memorial/

• https://www.indianawarmemorials.org/explore/uss-indianapolis-memorial/

We are also collecting your photos of the 9/11 Memorial and any other Memorial you wish to share!  We will put these into a slideshow to share with the club before the next meeting during social hour.  OR if it rains out our canal walk, we will share them during today's meeting. Please send them to me @ jennifer.spence1124@gmail.com.

Conner Prairie Takes to the Skies! Jupiter Flights Balloon Festival @ Conner Prairie

Friday, Sept 5, 5-10 pm.
Ticket sales on July 31st.

Evening Balloon Glow ticket prices (Consist of the Hare and Hound Race, Balloon Glow and evening activities):

Member: $15
Nonmember: $26

Learn more about the event

Playing With Alternative Image Techniques

Modern digital cameras and software have created new opportunities for photographers to explore alternative ways to view and present their ideas. In preparation for November's "Surrealism / Composite" competition, Photo Venture member Eric Schoch will walk us through some of the techniques he has played with in recent years, such as intentional camera movement (ICM), composites, Photoshop layers and blending modes, and in-camera multiple exposures.

This will be a hands-on workshop at Focus On Studio. Bring your camera and lens, a laptop, a card reader and be ready to experiment and have fun! Having Photoshop on your laptop will be helpful but not required.

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.

Join us for an evening with Steven Brokaw!

”Goal of the presentation is to provide an overview of the process I follow for fashion and model agency portfolio photography. The presentation will be broken into 2 parts. A discussion / presentation on the workflow used and then an in-studio photoshoot focusing on lighting and working with an agency model.”

The presentation will consist of:
• The photoshoot preparation and planning
• The photoshoot (meet Steve’s model for this shoot)
• The photoshoot follow-up
• The Do’s and Don’t
This will be an interactive presentation so questions are welcome.

More about Steve:

I'm a professional portrait, beauty and fashion photographer.
I'm based in Indianapolis / Carmel, IN, USA.

My focus is commercial & editorial fashion, beauty and portraits / headshots. Studio work is done at Focus On Studio in Carmel, IN (a north-side suburb of Indianapolis).

Available for location photoshoots and travel.

https://stevenbrokawphotography.com/

Saturday, August 23, 2025

Please sign up and let us know you are coming so we can reserve our group rate with the facility.

Cost is $10/person. Reminder, this is about a two hour drive out of Indy. Let us know if you need to carpool (driver or passenger)

Please complete a current PVCC Waiver

Tours last approx. 1 hour.

Click here for their website information

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Location: Zoom

The topic for our August competition “Vehicle & Transportation”

Our judge is Karl Zemlin. Karl is a long time member of PVCC. He is a part time professional photographer, and a retired mechanical engineer. When he's not shooting photos for the IMS, you can find him designing and creating lens caps, lens hoods, eye pieces and other assorted items in his Zemlin Photo shop https://www.zemlinphoto.com/

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.

For more than 50 years, Stuart Fabe has been fascinated by early cameras — the elegance of their designs, the precision of their mechanics, and the powerful stories captured through their lenses. Fabe, an accomplished night sky photographer from Greencastle, Ind., has translated that fascination into a comprehensive collection of antique cameras.

You won't want to miss Fabe's fun and informative presentation on the many ways people have dreamed up tools to make photographs. He will have several of his antique and unusual cameras on hand for us to inspect.

Indiana Audubon’s 8th Annual Hummingbird Migration Celebration returns Saturday, Aug. 9, to Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary in Connersville. The daylong event marks the start of Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration in Indiana and features live banding demonstrations, bird encounters, family-friendly nature activities and more.

The celebration, running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., centers on the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, the state’s only breeding hummingbird species, as nesting winds down and the birds begin their fall migration. Visitors can attend live banding demonstrations at 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to see wild hummingbirds up close during the brief moments they’re banded and released. A noon presentation by master bander Lina Rifai will highlight hummingbird behavior, migration timing and the seasonal changes that influence their life cycle.

Click here for more details

For PVCC members that didn’t get registered for the Indians game, you are welcome to attend the Awards Presentation on Thursday, Aug 7, 2025 from 6:30pm-8:30pm

The event is in the Arts Building (same building where all the photos were exhibited)

You will still need to have a ticket and parking to attend the event.

For those that entered this year, don’t forget to pick up your prints:

• Aug 18, 2025: Monday:   RELEASE OF PRINTS 11:00am-7:00pm

• Aug 19, 2025: Tuesday:  RELEASE OF PRINTS 9:00am-3:00pm

Update from Adam:

Tickets will be printed out and distributed to each person.

For Thursday, I’ll have you all meet outside the suite and administration entrance on the west side of the ballpark and I’ll bring your credentials out all at once and we can enter as a group.  I have a short presentation to go over with the group in one of meeting rooms and then we’ll head down to the field.  

Regarding lens selection, I personally run a 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8, and my 400 2.8.   I also sometimes have my 14mm on me and the Indians’ 150-600mm, but the latter isn’t super useful for evening/night games.  

PVCC paid members have an opportunity to photograph the Indians game on Thursday, August 7, 2025, the game starts at 6:35 PM.

Registration is limited to the first twelve (12) registrants. You must be a paid member of PVCC, sign the Victory Field and Indianapolis Indians GENERAL RELEASE AND WAIVER, and also have a current PVCC waiver on file. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Adam Pintar, Senior Director of Brand, Marketing and Communications and head photographer of the Indians will be our host. He will meet with us at 4:30 PM to give us instructions and a brief summary of his go to photography techniques and recommendations.

The tickets are free and we will have great access to photo areas around Victory Field.

You are responsible for your own parking (Government Center, Convention Center, White River Park etc.)

Victory Field is located at 501 W Maryland St, Indianapolis, IN 46225

Learn more about Adam

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 is Karl Zemlin. Karl is a long time member of PVCC. He is a part time professional photographer, and a retired mechanical engineer. When he's not shooting photos for the IMS, you can find him designing and creating lens caps, lens hoods, eye pieces and other assorted items in his Zemlin Photo shop https://www.zemlinphoto.com/

See attached document for program description.

Click here for more information

It's State Fair Time!  Jen's favorite time of the year!

Want to get something to eat? Come on down a little early (5:00 PM)

Join us with a visit to the Indiana Arts Building Photography Gallery at 6:00 pm to view all the amazing photographs submitted by fellow Hoosiers....and to see how we did in the 2025 Photo Club Competition.  Fingers crossed we can once again obtain the "Best Club of 2025"!

For anyone interested, Bill and Jen traditionally get food before the photo exhibit.  Corn on the cob, steak sandwich, and elephant ears...YUM!  Jen will post a FB notice for anyone who wants to meet up.

Bring your cameras as many of us will stay to shoot the iconic State Fair Sign and lots of the amusement area. 

Join us for a follow up to our brainstorming session. We will be meeting at Focus On Studio, from 7:00-9:00 PM.

OFFICERS 2025-26
President:Paul Schoon
Vice President: Vernon Jones (Jonesy)
Secretary: Mark Sachs
Treasurer:Bill Bubenzer
Past President: Vernon Jones (Jonesy)

COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Competition: Charles Yang, Jay van Santen
Field Trips: Vernon Jones (Jonesy)
Historian/ Librarian: Eric Schoch
Membership: Open Position
Programs: Open Position (Can Toksoy, Cindy Breneman, Robert Candis, Thomas Jones, Jennifer Spence)
Website: Bill Bubenzer

No meeting tonight. The officers and board are meeting to recap action items from Saturday’s brainstorming session. All members are welcome to attend! We are meeting at Focus On Studio from 7:00-9:00 PM

If we don’t see you on Thursday evening at the board gathering, we will see you at the Indiana State Fair gathering tomorrow night!

It's State Fair Time!  Jen's favorite time of the year!

Join us with a visit to the Indiana Arts Building Photography Gallery at 6:00 pm to view all the amazing photographs submitted by fellow Hoosiers....and to see how we did in the 2025 Photo Club Competition.  Fingers crossed we can once again obtain the "Best Club of 2025"!

For anyone interested, Bill and Jen traditionally get food before the photo exhibit.  Corn on the cob, steak sandwich, and elephant ears...YUM!  Jen will post a FB notice for anyone who wants to meet up.

Bring your cameras as many of us will stay to shoot the iconic State Fair Sign and lots of the amusement area. 

Join us for a brainstorming session, covering a wide variety of club topics. We will be meeting at Focus On Studio, from 1:00-4:00 PM.

Bring your ideas!

Take some time to review our website, Groups.io and our Facebook pages.

Leave your comments or reach out to one of the offices or board members.

OFFICERS 2025-26
President:Paul Schoon
Vice President: Vernon Jones (Jonesy)
Secretary: Mark Sachs
Treasurer:Bill Bubenzer
Past President: Vernon Jones (Jonesy)

COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Competition: Charles Yang, Jay van Santen
Field Trips: Vernon Jones (Jonesy)
Historian/ Librarian: Eric Schoch
Membership: Sarah Browning
Programs: Open (Can Toksoy, Cindy Breneman, Robert Candis, Thomas Jones, Brian Martin, Justin Sicking, Jennifer Spence)
Website: Bill Bubenzer

Meeting Location: Zoom

Join Cindy Breneman and others as they share photos from the recent PVCC trip to Hocking Hills last month.

This would be a great way to experience the trip if you were unable to attend and also scout out some shots if you plan on going there in the future.

Meeting Location: Zoom

The new version of the "PVCC Photo Critiques Facebook Group" for PAID MEMBERS ONLY is up!

Charles Yang will walk us through the updated version of the PVCC Photo Critiques Facebook Group.

This Facebook Group is for PVCC paid members only. Since we are in the first month of our new fiscal year, members during 2024-25 will receive an invite to joint the group.

Click here to check it out, and start posting!