The Laguna Woods Camera Club held its annual tradition of presenting members’ best photographs. At a ceremony, photos of birds, plants and animals dominated, and awards were handed out in several categories, including pictorial, monochrome, special subject and artistic expression, judges awards and best in show.
In pictorial, Lara Ferraro won first place for her photo “Gone Fishing,” a close-up of a black bear about to nab a fish. Larry Goodman took second place for his photo of a watchful fox in “Red Fox of Pt. Furman Lighthouse,” and Raymond LaBelle placed third for “Heart,” of two seabirds craning their necks into the shape of a heart as a baby bird looks on. That photo also earned LaBelle a judges award.
In the monochrome category, Myra Posner took first place with her interpretation of a plant titled “Nature’s Curves.” The flawless composition also earned her the coveted best in show award.
Second place in monochrome went to Ferraro for “Morning Catch,” of a seabird nabbing a fish out of the water, and third went to Goodman for “Morning Breakfast,” also of a seabird with a fish in its bill.
In the category special subject and artistic expression, George Harper won first place for “Big Leaves.” His wife, Bette Harper, took fourth place in the same category for “All Alone,” a minimalist photo of a lone plant in a sea of white sand.
The photographers recently shared some insights into their winning works, which can be summed up into four words: skill, planning, patience and perseverance. Their equipment ranged from pricey to basic, and at times even a smartphone did the trick. Some have completed Saddleback Emeritus photography classes, others are still enrolled. All have mastered and depend on post-production techniques like Lightroom or Photoshop.
Ferraro’s winning entry “Gone Fishing” was shot in Kake, Alaska, where black bears were feasting on salmon near a fish hatchery.
“We were positioned perfectly…
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