MAY & JUNE 2025

CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO SEE AN enlargement of the photograph. You ALSO will be able to READ THe comments the photographer has WRITTEN. KEITH AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY THESE special MOMENTS FROM YOUR GENE POOL. REMINDER: No JUDGING MOMENTS — JUST LOVE.

“THERE ARE NO RULES
FOR GOOD PHOTOGRAPHS,
THERE ARE ONLY GOOD PHOTOGRAPHS.”

• ANSEL ADAMS •

JULY: ULTRA WIDE PHOTOGRAPHY

THE GOAL:
The goal of ultra-wide photography is to capture the broadest view with the highest resolution. Many cameras and phones have a setting just for ultra-wide. You can usually find this feature in your camera settings.

THE HINT:
To use the ultra-wide camera on my iPhone 12 Pro Max, I just open the Camera app and tap 0.5 above the shutter button. This switches the camera to the ultra-wide lens, allowing me to capture a wider field of view. If you can’t find yours, do a quick internet search to find it on your device.

THE CHALLENGE:
Capture a stunning landscape or skyline using the ultra-wide setting. You can see how much depth the flowers in front add to the sample photo above. Include a prominent subject in the foreground for depth.

THE LOGISTICS: For this challenge, you can send up to three photos. A reminder will be sent five days before the deadline. Entries are due by July 31st please.

WATCH FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST TOWARD THE END OF THE YEAR
CHECK BACK RIGHT HERE IN JANUARY TO SEE THE ENTRIES AND WINNERS

“We are making photographS
to understand
what our lives mean to us.”

• RALPH HATTERSLEY •

if you prefer, you can vote old school by PHONING, texting or emailing your votes to your clerical assistant Mary. Remember: DEMOCRACY died to protect our right to vote FIVE times. No matter how, just do it!

“PHOTOGRAPHY TAKES
AN INSTANT OUT OF TIME,
ALTERING LIFE BY HOLDING IT STILL.”

• DOROTHEA LANGE •

• PASSWORD PROTECTED •

CLICK THE MAGIC BUTTON BELOW TO SEE PHOTO ALBUMS
• PASSWORD PROTECTED •

A FEW CLAN COMMENTS

ERIK: “Thank you for running this. It makes me feel a connection with people in our extended family who I rarely see. A reminder that family is bigger than it sometimes seems. That means a lot to me.”

HANNAH: “I LOVE this, and that amazing picture of my oh so beautiful mom.”

BRI: “Thank you for creating something for us all to be connected.”

MARY: “We all know it’s not really about photography or a contest — it’s about the love. I believe a big part of the reason people send photos is to send their love , and a big reason they look at your photos is to feel your love through your photos.”

If you’d like to know who’s who in our family, I made a handy listing of every participant in our Fabulous Family Photo Contest, with a description of how each is related to Keith and me. It is not intended to serve as a family tree. Rather, it is a quick reference of the photographers so you can place where they swim in the gene pool. If you’re interested, click the button and enter the photo contest password. I find it quite amazing that by birth or love, we are all connected, sharing genes, sharing ancestors, sharing histories, and now sharing snapshots of our adventures. I was thinking how wonderful it would be if you all could get to know each other better — but then I realized you have — one photograph at a time! You are the people Keith and I call “our loved ones.” Snap On! — Mary Pat

ALWAYS THERE TO ALWAYS CARE!

“Being a relative is more than shared blood from a common past. Real kinship arises when we realize that we have a common future, that our fates are linked. Real kinship comes when you live it. It’s not a noun, but a verb, it’s not a thing, it’s what you do.”

• Robin Wall Kimmerer •

“It is more important
to click with people
than to click the shutter.”

• ALFRED EISENSTAEDT •