Fernwood Photography Club
by Rebecka Hoyt, Editor & Photographer
Did you know that Fernwood Botanical Garden has a photography club? Yes they do! I have known about it for quite some time, I just never attended a meeting of theirs until their most recent one on Sunday, April 3, 2022 at 2pm. I guess you could say, I never made the time to attend and finally decided to go and I am glad that I did. Hopefully I will be able to go to more meetings, come join me! Read on to learn more.
Fernwood Photography Club meets on the first Sunday of each month in the Sims Education Center. There is no fee to join the club, just the price to go into Fernwood Botanical Garden or if you’re a member. For each meeting, approximately 25-30 members submit a few photos based on a certain subject that Bob Denny, club leader assigns. They start with a slideshow of great photos related to indoor objects, nature, barns, lighthouses and Lake Michigan waves, pets, etc… Bob then chooses some photos that he likes and they talk about them and ask questions about the “Lighting, was anything photoshopped or did you create the photo shoot to make it look like that?” He will also give some insight if “you could crop the photo a certain way or leave it the way it is.”
How did this club start? It was one more way to capture the beauty of Fernwood Botanical Garden, volunteer and bring value to the community. Bob has had many years of using different kinds of cameras, developing photos himself in a darkroom, and he is also an engineer. “People join us as far as St. Joseph, MI and Elkhart, IN/a 50-mile radius,” states Bob.
You do not have to be an expert in photography to join or have a top-of-the-line camera. Your camera on your phone will do just as well. The club is fun, laid back and there is plenty of time for questions. At this meeting Bob went over some common questions such as: “What is an f stop? Why does the number go down as more light is let in? Why aren’t my images sharp?” Members of the club contribute answers/questions to the discussion and also give advice, which is very helpful!
The next Fernwood Photography Club meeting is May 1st at 2pm with photos of “Signs of Spring” and “Up your game from “snapshots” of wildflowers, use your compositional skills to create artistic images that tell the story of spring: separate “subjects” from cluttered backgrounds and distractions.”
About Fernwood Botanical Garden: Fernwood is committed to providing a safe place to enjoy the outdoors. Take a moment to find peace and inspiration at Fernwood today.
- Hours:
- Tues-Sat 10a-5p
- Sunday noon-5p
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