Trips, photo ops, and community assistance

By Rex Dolby

The Van Wert Area Photography Club met Thursday, Sept. 10 to view and discuss pictures taken during a recent photo shoot in Woodland Cemetery following last month’s meeting, as well as to consider some upcoming photo ops.

The first is a trip conceived by Randy Shellenbarger to the Black Pine Animal Sanctuary.  (www.blackpine.org)  just to the west of Albion, Ind., on Sept. 20 .    The sanctuary will open to Photographers ONLY from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on that day. The general public will NOT be admitted until we are finished at 11 a.m,. making this is an excellent opportunity for photographers that Randy has worked to make happen.

We plan to meet at McDonalds on the north side of Van Wert, and pull out by 7:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, Sept. 20. Come earlier for breakfast if you like, but we’re leaving at 7:30 a.m. sharp.  The cost per person will be the $10 entry fee at Black Pine plus whatever you chip in for fuel.

Stuart Jewett should have been contacted at (419.203.4344 or stratcat13@gmail.com) or a post left on the VWAPC Facebook page by Sunday, Sept. 13, that you will participate, so transportation can be arranged.

The second trip was suggested by Mike Taylor; travel to near Grand Rapids, Ohio, for the 13th Woodland Indian Celebration on Sept. 26 or 27.  It is perhaps an hour and a half drive to the Seven Eagles Historical Education Center: 16486 Wapakoneta Road, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.  Admission per person is $5 adults, $3 senior citizens, and $2 for children ages 5-11. The event is presented by the Black Swamp Inter Tribal Foundation and includes: Native American arts and crafts, dancers, food, games and music. The area offers 40 acres of forest, a Woodland Indian Village, a 1750 Trading Post, a 1790 Tavern and an 1800 Log Cabin. For more details, go to: http://calendar.powwows.com/events/13th-woodland-indian-celebration-3/

If you want to go along on that trip, contact Stuart Jewett (contact info above) or leave a post on the VWAPC Facebook page by Monday, Sept. 21, that you will participate so transportation can be arranged.  The details will be announced soon on the club’s Facebook page and next week in the Times Bulletin and VW Independent.  Saturday is looking like the day to go.

Members and other photographers might want to  help Larry Lee of the Van Wert Convention & Visitor’s Bureau who writes, “I am in need of four or five good high resolution photos for fall activities in the Van Wert area for use on our new web site (www.visitvanwert.org)  Ideas might be scenes from the fair, the apple festival, or fall landscape scenes.  I need fall photos ASAP.  Looking ahead I will need some winter photos as well.  Can anyone help?  You can send them to me at llee@visitvanwert.org or bring in a flash drive I can download.  You help will be greatly appreciated.”

They also can help Sarah Robeson who says, “Hi Stuart! Kari Kuhn pointed me in your direction to see about getting a member of the camera club out to an event we are having at the Humane Society. On Sat, Oct. 24 out at the John Brown soccer fields we will be having a Howl-a-ween. This includes a mile fun run, dog agility course and costume contest. Looking forward to getting the public out to this event and thought the Camera Club could help us capture it. Let me know your thoughts and if this is something the club would be interested in. Thanks! ”

The VWAPC encourages all photographers to take part in these events. The more images that are recorded, the better the coverage and the greater the pool of images to select from that can be used in the publicity for future activities.