Arundel Camera Club, Inc.

Program - What I did Over the Summer
2025-09-04 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Severna Park Baptist Church, 506 Benfield Rd, Severna Park, MD, 21146, United States
Happy Labor Day and welcome back to another great year of Arundel Camera Club fun.
What I did Over the Summer
Thursday evening at 7:00pm is our annual “What I did this summer” meeting at the Severna Park Baptist Church in Severna Park. Plan to attend and tell us a little about your summer adventures. Please go through your images and select three or four photos you would like to share with the club. Format them at 2048 pixels on the long side. Name them Summer_Title_YourName.jpg. You can submit them through the club portal at Portal.
Here are more detailed instructions if you forget or if you are a new members and are doing this for the first time. We will send you a confirmation email to let you know we received your photos. For more info on Digital Submissions ACC Digital Contest Submission Instructions.
This evening of sharing is stress-free—no judging nor prizes, just sharing. And if you want to try out a photo or so you are considering for contests later this year, there are no restrictions.
For members unable to attend in person and wishing to join us online, We will share the Zoom link for the meeting.
Dues
Annual dues are Individual $40.00. Family $40.00 first family member and $20.00 for each additional family member.
Only paid members in good standing can participate in monthly contests and vote on club business.
Make your check out to “Arundel Camera Club.”
Bring your check to a meeting or send your check to:
Susan Webber
5471 Autumn Field Ct.
Ellicott City MD 21043
Membership Form
Don’t forget to fill out the Membership Form. This form is for new and returning club members. Please fill out this form and submit. This will email the details to our Treasurer and add your name to our membership roster and mailing list.

Summer Cookout and Pool Party
2025-08-23 12:00 - 16:00 | Jackie Colestock, 1335 Old Mountain Rd, Pasadena, MD, 21122, United States
Come join us for an afternoon around the grill and by the pool, hosted by Bob and Jackie Colestock.
The pool will be open, and it will be a hot day so bring your swimsuit.
Friends and family are welcome.
Remember to bring your cameras umbrellas, and lawn chairs.
The club provides hotdogs and hamburgers and paper goods.
Surprise us with your summer delights. Sign up to bring a side dish or dessert at PerfectPotluck.com ( COORDINATOR LAST NAME Thomas / PASSWORD ACC2025) .
BYOB.

Field Trip - Guiness Open Gate Brewery
2025-08-16 17:50 - 20:30 | Guiness Open Gate Brewery, 5001 Washington Blvd, Halethorpe, MD, 20227, United States
This is our first trip outing and we will have lots of fun. Please let me know if you are coming and how many in your party.
Did you know that the only Guinness brewery in the US is right in your backyard? Located just minutes outside of Baltimore City, the Open Gate Brewery has 15+ unique beers on tap, locally-inspired food, and that touch of Irish Hospitality you expect from Guinness. Stop by and see what 260 years of Irish brewing heritage can do with American beer creativity.
Please park near building shown above and enter under metal stairway to elevators and proceed to second floor. Proceed to check in.
Tour 5:50 PM $20 Sample 4 beers

Join us for a group tour of the Baltimore Experimental Brewery! One of our charismatic guides will teach you all about the history of Guinness and our site. Your guide will provide plenty of Guinness heritage and give you hands on time with centuries old artifacts. Dive into Arthur Guinness’ lineage and learn about how Guinness made its way all the way from Dublin to Baltimore.
This one is for the history buffs!
Guided Tastings take place after the tour and last approximately 30 minutes. Guests must be at least 21 years or older and have in-person physical ID for this portion of the experience.

Dinner 7:30 PM

Field Trip - Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens
2025-07-19 08:00 - 20:00 | Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE, Washington, DC, 20019, United States
Please join us on a field trip to Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens on Saturday 19 July 2025.
The 2025 Lotus & Water Lily Festival will be held from Friday, July 18th through Sunday, July 20th.
Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, nestled along the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. (just across from Maryland), is a lush sanctuary of ponds, marshland, and boardwalks managed by the National Park Service. Home to rare water lilies, vibrant lotuses, and a diverse range of wildlife, from dragonflies and turtles to almost 260 bird species, it spans around 700 acres of natural and cultivated ecosystems
Why it’s a Photographer’s Dream

Stunning floral variety: Expansive ponds host water lilies and lotuses in shades from pale pink to deep magenta, blooming May through early fall—mid-July marks the visual peak.
Rich biodiversity: Capture dragonflies perched on blossoms, herons wading in ponds, turtles basking on logs, and a kaleidoscope of birds—the harmony of nature and blooms offers dynamic compositions.
Scenic walkways: Elevated boardwalks cut through the marshlands and ponds, creating natural framing opportunities with reflections and leading lines.
Soft, textured light: Mornings and overcasts soften harsh contrast, ideal for macro and close-up shots.

The Lotus & Water Lily Festival (Mid-July)
Held annually July 18–20, coinciding with peak blooms :

Three full days of activities including guided walks, cultural performances, yoga sessions, art workshops, storytelling, wildlife demos, and neighborhood evening events.
Hours: 8 a.m.–8 p.m. (Fri–Sat), and until 4 p.m. on Sunday, perfect for morning or golden hour photography.
Free access and family-friendly, though crowds increase, early arrival secures the best light and angles.
Festival schedule highlights:

Morning walks and macro ops at sunrise
Art demos and workshops for creative framing
Ranger-led nature photography and flora/funga tours
Occasional special events: night-blooming lily hikes, bird-of-prey demonstrations, etc.

Photo Tips for Festival-Goers

Tip
Why It Matters

Arrive early
Beat crowds, catch dewdrops and golden light

Bring macro + wide lenses
Capture both intimate details and sweeping landscapes

Use a tripod
Essential for low-light specimens and creative compositions

Shoot reflections
Glass-like pond surfaces in early morning offer artful opportunities

Include wildlife
Dragonflies, herons, turtles add life to floral shots

Vary perspectives
Use boardwalks for overhead shots; kneel for dramatic low-angle blooms

Stay respectful
Stick to designated paths to avoid disturbing sensitive flora

Field Trip - Alexander Caverns
2025-07-12 10:00 - 19:30 | Rutters in Milroy, 20 Commerce Drive, Milroy, PA, 17063, United States
Nearby Hotels and Camping
Best Western, Holiday Inn, Hartman Center (Camping, rental cabins), there is primitive camping at Reeds Gap State Park.
Food
In the morning I sometimes grab breakfast at the Honey Creek Inn, it is your typical breakfast fare. After the cave trip I usually grab dinner at the Bel-Vue Inn – this is your classic rural PA cafe with home cooked meals typical of rural Americana. If we want something more upscale for dinner there is Shy Bear Brewing. It is rural PA though, so upscale here is about mid-level what you’d get elsewhere.
If you’re light on breakfast but want a good cup of coffee, I highly recommend East End Coffee in Reedsville.
Saturday Schedule
We meet at Rutters in Milroy at 10am and then drive to the cave from there. It is a ~10min drive away. We park about 200ft from the cave entrance. We will be in the cave as long as we want, but have to be off the property no later than about 7:30pm.
The Cave
Alexander Caverns is an ex-commercial show cave so it has all of the trails and handrails, but no lights. As such you can get as dirty as you want, or stay completely clean. The entrance has ~60 stairs to go down. From there it is all walking passage anywhere from 10-30 feet wide and 7 to 30 feet tall, all very heavily decorated. Cave is 50 degrees or so, 100% humidity, bring layers. If you decide to get dirty then definitely bring a spare change of clothes. Hope and I can provide helmets and lights – but try to bring your own headlamp if you happen to have one. Nothing fancy is needed.
Cave Snacks, Etc.
Bring yourself a lunch: a sandwich, candy bars, etc. Hope and I will bring extra just in case, and we will bring a small stove to make coffee, tea, etc. As a reminder there are no bathrooms in the cave. If you need to pee you can do so in the stream passage. Anything else, unless its an emergency, will involve having to drive somewhere. Nearest bathroom is the Rutter we meet at, about 10 minutes away.
What Photo Gear to Bring
You’ll want your camera, a tripod, and your lenses. I typically use my 16-35mm wide angle, or a 50mm, or a 100mm macro lens. You can pack it in a normal camera bag, Hope and I will bring plastic drop cloths to set things down on.
If you have your own strobes and a sync device please bring them. I have strobes and a sync device, but not enough for everyone. This is the only gear that may be at risk of damage. Strobes are often set on whatever rock, mud slope, etc that you can find. The chance of them rolling off and falling can be high. I have gotten good at keeping strobes intact, but I may NO guarantees on this.
Other Stuff I Will Bring
I will have some flashbulbs, and flashguns for them. I will also have some umbrellas and diffusers and stands for them.
My Plan
I have one or two photos I would like to get with my large format 4×5 camera. I will likely use one of these as an example photo. Once we get in the cave we enter a space called the Cathedral Room. Here I will setup my photo that I want to take and explain the process to acquaint everyone with how cave photography works. This should take, at most, one hour. After that everyone can spread through the cave to take photos as they wish – or we can stay all together. We will play it by ear. I will show you both a wide angle shot (the cave equivalent of a landscape), and a macro photo of crystals and pearls.
Since the group is small enough, we can take an hour or two before we leave and do the wet section of the cave. This section has a large river passage that you traverse by boat. We will not be taking photos here, but it’s worth seeing. It is a very unique experience.
Roster
We have a full group. Some folks from a book publishing company may be joining us. We can maybe add more people but I need a good bit of heads up (no later than 10 days before). Right now I have the following:

Rick Smith* (keyholder)
Ryan Maurer*
Hope Brooks*
Cheryl Kerr
Jackie Colestock
Jackie Colestock+1
Al Kok
Doug Wood

* Trip Leaders
I look forward to see y’all soon!
