We invite all SCPS members to our first meeting of the year, still via Zoom (thanks, Omicron!), with Greg Russell of Alpenglow Images and his talk “The Promised Land: 20 Years in Joshua Tree National Park or The Benefit of Being a Homebody.” Please continue reading if you’re interested. Meeting date & time are at the end of this invitation.
The Promised Land: 20 Years in Joshua Tree National Park or The Benefit of Being a Homebody
Over 100 years ago, Joshua trees got their name from Mormon pioneers who were reminded of prophet Joshua directing them toward the promised land. Despite their uniqueness, Joshua trees are not as majestic as a redwood or a sequoia, nor as charming as a Monterey cypress. It’s easy to understand why Joshua trees require a little time to warm up to. Mary Hunter Austin, an early champion of the desert, noted the “unhappy growth of the tree yuccas” and their “bayonet-pointed leaves, dull green, growing shaggy with age, tipped with panicles of fetid, greenish bloom.” These might seem like harsh words, but Austin was keenly aware of the time required to build a sense of place in the desert. This is a lesson Greg has learned slowly over time as well.
In his talk, Greg will share images and stories from 20 years of photographing in Joshua Tree National Park. While the park is revered by tourists, rock climbers, and photographers, it can be a bit of a difficult place to warm up to photographically. Additionally, Greg will talk about other public land in southern California, and the many benefits of staying close to home as a photographer.
About Greg
Wendell Berry wrote, “If you don’t know where you are, you don’t know who you are.” This notion of having a sense of place–the feeling that we can be stitched to a particular place or region by a thousand tiny threads–resonates deeply with Greg Russell. He was born and has lived his entire life in the American West. His own sense of belonging to the landscapes, people, culture and values of the West have helped shape who he is today. He feels most at home in the mountains and canyons he grew up exploring.
As a photographer and public land owner, Greg continues to cultivate a relationship with the wild places he fell in love with as a child. Through his images, he wants to foster in the viewer an authentic sense of attachment, belonging, and stewardship toward the environment.
Gallery
Here are a few example photos from Greg’s talk. You can find a lot more on his website, linked above, and when you follow him on social media.
MemberShare
After the main presentation, we’ll take a short break before we continue with our MemberShare.
Photos don’t have to be recent. SEND YOUR BEST PHOTOGRAPHS. For example, create a small series of five favorite images or a project, and share with others what your photographic interests are about.
Here’s a quick reminder of the guidelines and procedure:
- Send up to five photos via Dropbox file request.
- Send high-res files, sRGB color space, JPEG only
- Check our guide on image sizes, JPEG quality, file naming, metadata
- Prepare to speak no more than 10-20 seconds on each photo
- We expect technically solid photographic work
- Deadline for MemberShare submissions: Friday, January 21, 6pm
- Nameplates: feel free to include a vertical orientation headshot with your photos
To submit your images, simply click this button:
If you need help or if there’s anything unclear about this procedure, the Dropbox help article on file requests contains everything you need to know.
NOTE: Your photos are only shown during MemberShare and will be deleted afterwards. We do not keep copies. There is no need to watermark your photos. If you feel that you must add a logo or other overlay, please keep it small and unobtrusive.
When the MemberShare is especially popular, we may have to reduce the amount of images from each member. If that happens we will announce it before MemberShare begins, and hope for your understanding.
Meeting Date & Time
The Zoom link to join the meeting will be sent to members a few days ahead of the meeting, via our mailing list. If you never used Zoom before, you can download the client software here.
- Date: Saturday, January 22, 2022
- Time: 1.45 PM opening of meeting (please join early if you never used Zoom before!)
2 PM start of meeting and main presentation
- More information about our online meetings is here: Online Meetings
See you at the meeting!