Camera Club - News - suggestions for planning camera club field trip

PSA Journal, August, 2003

Field Trip Recommendations

At the recent Gulf States Camera Club Council Convention the host Dallas Camera Club (CC) presented a program of several short slide shows composed of slides taken by members on field trips. After the program, some suggested guidelines for an effective camera club field trip plan were given as a handout. These are recommendations suggested by Dody Bracken, Field Trip Chairman for the Dallas CC.

1. Plan ahead: Members need to have, and should receive, notice well in advance of trip details and dates. The full year's schedule should be published early in the club year, and then more specific details published as each event draws near.

2. Choosing a site: Utilize local sites of significant interest. Alternate choices to avoid the same site two years in a row. Sources of information: travel magazines, travel guides, newspaper articles, current events calendars, etc.

3. After locating a site: Get a good map. Determine mileage. Estimate driving time. Provide directions.

4. Restaurants: The Dallas CC tries to have all the attendees meet at a chosen restaurant after the shoot to have lunch or dinner together. This offers time to socialize, to meet members they don't know, and to compare photographic information.

5. Overnight trips: Plan at least one overnight trip a year. Arrange for a place where all can stay together, or provide a list of accommodations. Have a meeting place at the destination agreed upon beforehand, where everyone can receive the full itinerary and schedule.

6. Create a slide show of the event: After the shoot one person should be appointed to receive slides from each attendee, who then edits by selecting the best slides, and sorting them to avoid too much repetition. He also chooses or suggests music to accompany the program.

Titles are an important part of the slide presentation to convey the place and give credits to the programmer and slide makers. Titles can be amusing or serious. Slide dissolve enhances the presentation but is not necessary.

7. Benefits: The slide show gives members an opportunity to have their work shown to the other members, a view of the place visited, and to see how no two persons visualize in the same way. This can be quite entertaining, dependent on the creativity of the programmer.

Dody Bracken adds that it is nice to have a scavenger hunt at least once a year at a confined location such as a fairgrounds, a garden or arboretum, and instead of having specific subjects to photograph, use techniques such as soft focus, zoom, double exposure, etc. as the assignments.

Matt Daura, APSA, Editor

121 Phanturn, Bellaire, TX 77401

datex121@aol.com