Vistoso Photo Club
I had the privilege last night of judging a photo competition for the Vistoso Photo Club in Oro Valley.
The Vistoso Photo Club is a group of photography hobbyists and enthusiasts from the Sun City /Rancho Vistoso area of Oro Valley. There were perhaps 25-30 members of the club in last night’s meeting, and it was a great pleasure to meet them. Their monthly meetings involve a juried show of works. The artists divide themselves into three experience levels: Intermediate, Advanced, and Masters, and the work is divided into two groups: Assignment (those pieces that were shot specifically for the monthly topic) and Open (those that were not). In all, there were over 90 pieces in those 6 categories.
Overall, I was greatly impressed with the talent and aesthetics on display last night. There were some images that simply blew me away in terms of composition, impact, and technical prowess. As the images moved by, I gave each a score on a 10-point scale (ranging from 6 to 15) and gave some (hopefully useful) critiquing feedback. At the end of each group, competition coordinator Pat Mulligan announced which images received 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and honorable mention honors, based on the scoring. More than once I found myself in the unenviable position of breaking a tie that I’d created by scoring multiple images the same.
I enjoyed my time with the Vistoso Photo Club last night, and I do hope to be able to judge another of their upcoming competitions. Until that happens, however, there will be another opportunity to see the work of these fine artists: they have a public art hanging taking place in the month of December. The installation begins December 1, and will be on display until the 29th in the Sun City Social Hall (the building near the clock tower). The show will be open to the public every day from 7 AM until late evening (it opens a little later – 9 AM – on Sundays). With two pieces from every contributor, there should be a wide variety of beautiful pieces on display.