Informal Challenge Open for Entries the 1st-14th: The Informal Challenge for November is “Animals”
Informal Challenges are open to all members regardless of experience. Monthly challenges are great ways to participate in low-pressure competitions. If you are new to competitions, it is a wonderful way to get your “feet wet”!
Submissions can be made on the 1st through the 14th day of the month. Voting runs from the 15th through the 22nd. Winners will be announced after the competition closes.
You can enter your images or find more information about our Informal and formal competitions on our website https://orlandocameraclub.com/member-area/competitions/
Formal Competition Entries are open for submission from November 2nd through December 5th: The Theme is “All Things Water”
Entries are due by 11:59 pm on Friday, 12/5/25.
Competitions are a great way to improve your photography skills! Learn by listening to the judge’s critiques, as well as observing the diverse ideas and styles of photography from fellow members.
Remember, only images that are completely the work of the individual photographer may be submitted. For a complete set of the rules, more information, and to submit your entries, visit the competition area of our website in the Member area (you must be signed in to access the member area).
Please be aware that any submissions that do not adhere to the rules or are not consistent with the theme may be disqualified.
Good luck!
November 3th, 2025: Monday, 6:30 pm: Interactive SIG meetings: Abstract & EBA (Everything But Abstract): All Members are Invited: Zoom meeting
The newly restructured SIGs include the Abstract group and the new Everything But Abstract (EBA) group. Both SIGs are open to all members.
The Abstract SIG covers several types of photography, such as ICM, Multiple Exposures, and, of course, Abstracts.
The EBA (Everything But Abstract) SIG incorporates the Nature and Landscape SIGs. It will be hosted by the members and will include the types of photography subjects that interest them. It includes nature, landscape, street, travel, black and white, infrared, macro, all types of photography except Abstract.. The EBA SIG will be a metamorphosis of change and growth! It will be interesting to see what emerges!
We meet on the first Monday of each month, 6:30-8 pm via Zoom.
Register in advance for this meeting: Zoom links can be found here
November 8th, 2025 Saturday POP-UP FIELD TRIP! RAINBOW SPRINGS
Greetings OCCers!!
Rainbow Springs State Park is in Dunnellon, 84 miles from Orlando and 1 1/2 hours away, it’s worth the drive! It’s a great place for birding, has 5 trails and 3 waterfalls! They open at 8:00am, so it’s a good idea to get there early before the weekend crowd arrives. They also have a snack bar on the premises. For those of you that are really adventurous, they offer kayak rentals, too.
Our December FORMAL Competition is “All Things Water,” so I thought this might be the perfect field trip for some ideas.
LOCATION: Main Entrance/Headspring: 19160 S.W. 81 Place Road, Dunnellon, FL 34432
DATE/TIME: Saturday, Nov. 8th at 8:00-8:30am
COST: $5.00 per car (2-8 people) or $4.00 per single occupant [Let’s Carpool!]
GEAR: Mid-range zoom lens, tripod, ND and Polarizer filters, of course water and bug spray.
Please RSVP to: fieldtrips@orlandocameraclub.com
If you have any questions, please contact Brian or myself at the link above, Do Not Replay to this email.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Rita
November 10th, 2025: Monday 6:30 pm: “Creativity Is Contagious, Pass It On”: Presented by Lisa Cuchara, PhD: ZOOM Meeting Only
This dynamic photography program is designed to help you unlock your creative potential, both in-camera and during post-processing. Lisa will dive into a wide array of techniques to inspire and challenge your artistic vision. Whether you’re capturing dreamy long exposures, experimenting with multiple exposures, or mastering the art of bokeh and creative focusing, this program has something for every photographer eager to expand their creative toolkit. Lisa will guide you through diverse techniques such as intentional camera movement (panning, rotating, zooming, etc.), using neutral density filters for extended exposure times, and unlocking the secrets of Bulb mode, live time, and live composite photography. This program will also explore panoramas, composites, and HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging, helping you to push the boundaries of your photography. Amongst the plethora of techniques, will be working with textures, applying perspective, and a variety of post-processing ideas to take your images to the next level. With a focus on artistic growth, this program will ensure you’re inspired to be truly CreARTive in your photography journey. Join Lisa and let your imagination soar!
Bio: Lisa Cuchara, PhD — OM SYSTEM Ambassador, Seeker of Light, Time, Pixels, and Creativity.
In a world that rushes by in blinks and heartbeats, Lisa Cuchara slows time with her lens. A Master Craftsman, a Master of Artistry, and a Master of Photography (PPA), she weaves wonder from pixels and light, balancing science and soul as only a true alchemist of imagery can. With a heart tuned to nature’s quiet chorus, Lisa sees beyond the obvious — catching the iridescent flutter of a hummingbird’s wing, the secret stillness of dew-kissed flowers, the noble decay of forgotten places. Birds and blossoms, rusty relics, frogs with stories in their eyes — all become muses for her storytelling soul. Whether in the hush of a forest or the echo of an abandoned space, she doesn’t just shoot what it looks like — she captures what it feels like.
A fieldwork sage and a digital darkroom poet, Lisa transforms ordinary moments into storytelling landscapes. Photography, for her, is mindfulness in motion — a way to inhale the world slowly and exhale its beauty through art. Her eyes catch what others miss; her camera remembers what time forgets.
Alongside her husband Tom, a fellow kindred creative spirit she met through photography, Lisa co-runs a studio sanctuary in Hamden, CT. Together they teach light painting, macro, still life, flowers, and the magic of post-processing — blending technique with imagination, offering not just instruction but inspiration. Their work has graced galleries, calendars, magazines like Wild Bird, ABA Birding magazine, Birder’s World, and Adirondack Life, and even the cover of a novel. Their books — Create Fine Art Photographs from Historic Places and Rusty Things and The Frog Whisperer — celebrate both texture and tenderness in photography, urging readers to see the world as a canvas of marvels.
Lisa and Tom are tireless educators and generous mentors, presenting across the globe in person and online. Their motto — “Creativity is contagious, pass it on” — speaks to their mission to spark joy, curiosity, and vision in others. Subscribe to their YouTube channel, sign up for photo tips and photo event announcements, and explore more offerings at www.LisaTom.Photos. So whether you’re looking to capture the shimmer of a dragonfly’s wing, the fleeting movement of a bird catching a fish, or master the mysteries of light and shadow, Lisa welcomes you to a journey where creativity blooms and pixels dance.
Register in advance for this meeting: Zoom Links may be found here
November 17th: Monday 6:30 pm: Board Meeting
Our board meetings are held on Zoom and are open to all members! There is a lot that goes on “behind the curtain” at OCC. We would love to have you join us to share your thoughts and ideas or to just observe!
If you are interested in joining the Board to help keep our club running or just attending a meeting to see what we are all about, please contact President@OrlandoCameraClub.com. All our Board Members are volunteers and receive training for their positions.
So come find out what is going on, hang out with some awesome photo people, and have fun along the way!!
November 27th, Monday 6:30 pm: “Rocket Launch Photography” with Dr. Eric Moore: In-Person Meeting
BIO:
Dr. Eric Moore is a credentialed photographer for The Launch Pad Network as well as a celebrated astrophotographer, having his work recently displayed at the Orlando Museum of Art. During this presentation, Eric will take us behind the scenes of shooting some of the largest, most powerful rockets on earth right here from the Florida coast. Dr. Moore is also the CEO & Founder of Moore Medical Group, Inc. and Caya Health based in Lake Mary, FL.