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• CMPG November General Meeting: Steve Talabac, “Bird Photography: Composition, Techniques and Venues”.

  • When
    04 Nov 2026
  •  
    6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
  • Location
    The Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant, 9100 Fathers Legacy, Ellicott City, MD 21042 Learning Center, Terrace Level
  • Registered
    27 registrants

  Register

  Join us for our General Meeting, on Wednesday, November 4th, at 6:30pm!  Our speaker, Steve Talabac, will be presenting “Bird Photography: Composition, Techniques and Venues”.  This meeting will be In-Person ONLY, at The Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant. Click for MAP

  Stephen is retired from a rewarding 39-year aerospace engineering career with NOAA, NASA, and the private sector.  Stephen has enjoyed nature and landscape photography for more than 45 years. He has served as the Director, Assistant Director and Education Coordinator of the Central Maryland Photographer's Guild. He has led birds-in-flight photography workshops, served as an invited instructor at Longwood Gardens (PA) guiding students how to photograph foliage patterns, forms and textures, and has given numerous presentations to local photography clubs.

  His photographs have been published by Outdoor Photographer magazine, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Howard County Conservancy.

  His website is: https://www.sjtphotography.com

  The meeting will be at The Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant, 9100 Fathers Legacy, Ellicott City, MD 21042 Learning Center, Terrace Level. Click here for a map:  

  https://cmpg.photography/Maps

  
  

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• CMPG Nov Hands-On Meeting: Ask Anything + Year in Review

  • When
    18 Nov 2026
  •  
    6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
  • Location
    Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant, 9100 Fathers Legacy, Ellicott City, MD 21042 Learning Center, Terrace Level.
  • Registered
    11 registrants

  Register

  
  

  CMPG Hands-On Meeting

  "Ask Anything"

  When:

  18 Nov 2026, 6:30 to 9:00 PM

  
  

  Where:

  The Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant, 9100 Fathers Legacy, Ellicott City, MD 21042 Learning Center, Terrace Level.  Click HERE for map.

  
  

  Introduction:

  Ask Anything, the November Hands-On Group activity is a group discussion on equipment operation with a focus on maintenance. Bring your questions. We’ll reserve the last half-hour or so for a critique of the Hands-On activity, including what we should be doing. Bring your ideas.

  
  

  Overview:

  “The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” -- Dorothea Lange*

  First, during the meeting, we’ll have an expert demonstrating sensor cleaning.  The main topic of the meeting will be a group discussion of questions on equipment operation... with a focus on maintenance. Bring your questions.

  • Photo Backups.
  • Camera Straps.
  • Camera Bags.
  • L Brackets and quick releases. Time to tighten
  • Tripods. For us lever-leg users, time to tighten
  • Lens cleaning.
  • Programmable buttons:  Any favorite functions?

  During the 6:30-7:00 gathering time we’ll have a show and tell:  If you have a useful gadget, bring it and show it off.

  The last half hour will be a critique of this year’s hands-on group. What went right, what went wrong, what can I do better.  Thumbs up or Thumbs down

  • Close-up Fundamentals
  • Simulated Roll of Film
  • Intro to timelapse
  • Wheel of Composition
  • Video Settings
  • A Touch of Color
  • Golden/Blue Hour
  • Bokeh

  Also, what should we do? Ideas for next year?  As always, bring your patience and cooperation.

  Sharing Images: 

  Submit up to 5 images from this challenge. Please format files as follows, limiting to 30MB per image:

  CMPG-2026-HandsOn-NOV18-LastName-FirstName-01.jpg

  What to bring:

  • Camera
  • Lens
  • Gadget

  What to prepare:

  • Camera and other equipment questions.
  • What you would like to see from the Hands-On group next year.

  Reference:

  *1978, Dorothea Lange, Dorothea Lange: A photographer’s Life, p. vii

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• CMPG December 2026: Annual Holiday Party

  • When
    02 Dec 2026
  •  
    6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
  • Location
    Location The Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant, 9100 Fathers Legacy, Ellicott City, MD 21042 Learning Center, Terrace Level
  • Registered
    17 registrants

  Register

  Join us for our our Annual Holiday Party, on Wednesday, December 2nd, 6:30 to 9:00 PM at The Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant, 9100 Fathers Legacy, Ellicott City, MD 21042 Learning Center, Terrace Level. 

  Click here for a map:  https://cmpg.photography/Maps

  We will have hors d'oeuvres, beverages and raffles! 

  If you would like to bring a sweet treat for sharing, that would be great, but is NOT required!! Reply to this email to let us know, so we are prepared.

  We'll be have a Member Raffle! We've received generous donations from:

  ThinkTank

  Service Photo

  Nations Photo Lab

  ...and more! (check back for updates!)

  
  

  Our December Slideshow will be used for our Digital Pop-Up Gallery.  Submission deadline extended to noon on Monday, November 30th! Upload Information and link:

  https://cmpg.photography/image-uploads

  We will also be having a Print Pop-Up Gallery so bring up to 3 images to share!  Size of your choosing, unframed or framed, we will have tables to lay them on and Command strips to hang on the walls, where possible. 

  A Gear Swap Table will be available, if you have gear you want to pass on.  

  In order to plan accordingly, please register!  You may bring a guest as well!

  
  

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• CMPG January 2027 General Meeting: Valerie Hoffman, "Beauty in the Broken"

  • When
    06 Jan 2027
  •  
    6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
  • Location
    ONLINE ONLY
  • Registered
    4 registrants

  Register

  Join us for our General Meeting, on Wednesday, January 6th, at 6:30pm!  Our speaker, Valerie Hoffman, will be presenting "Beauty in the Broken".  This meeting will be ONLINE ONLY. 

  "Beauty In the Broken"

  We are drawn to pretty, new and shiny things-and there’s no question that they can make for great photographs. But what about the ugly, broken, rusty, falling-apart stuff?   Even out in the beauty of nature, you are sure to find some old barns, rusty trucks, and pieces and parts of things along the way. Don’t pass them by! Give them a closer look. You may just be surprised by what you find hidden there.

  This presentation will cover a variety of abandoned, broken and rusty subjects I’ve encountered along the road.  The goal is to not only introduce you to a different type of subject matter than you may be used to photographing, but also to help you to see more creatively the common things that are present most anywhere you roam. 

  Learn to look closer, where you will find shapes, patterns, textures, bold color, and sometimes hidden faces or characters; and become thrilled by the opportunities to create interesting and unique images that are limited only by your personal vision."

  About Valerie

  Valerie A. Hoffman is an avid landscape, wildlife, architectural and real estate photographer based in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania. With a degree in photography, more than 35 years working in the photography industry and teaching private photography lessons, group classes and workshops, Valerie loves to inspire people to take their photography skills to deeper and more creative levels. And if you follow her work for any amount of time, you may just find yourself laughing out loud and the mishaps she tends to get into! ;-)

  Follow Valerie:

  Instagram: @ValerieHoffmanPhotography

  Facebook: “Valerie A Hoffman Photography

  Follow Valerie’s photo treks and class offerings at: valeriehoffmanphotography.com

  Zoom Link:

  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85142164636?pwd=d3JiMU1WUlRORDBlbUxiTnNxU3hJdz09

  Meeting ID: 851 4216 4636

  Passcode: cmpg

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