Calendar

Nov
1
Fri
2019
2019 Sandhill Crane Festival – Field Trip @ Hutchins Street Square
Nov 1 @ 1:00 pm – Nov 3 @ 9:00 pm
Thank you to Jennifer Marano for organizing November’s field trip to the Sandhill Crane Festival in Lodi, CA.  Lodi is a small town near Stockton, about 2 hours from Santa Rosa.  For the past 39 years they have held a festival to celebrate the sandhill cranes that visit the nearby wetlands every winter.  These large birds have interesting behaviors including flying out in the morning and back in the evening in large groups.  This makes them an interesting subject for photographers.
Tours are offered as part of the festival November 1 – 3, many with well known experts on these birds.  Tours require registration in advance and the sooner, the better, to be able to participate in the tour of your choice.  There is a fee for some of them and separately a Lands Pass must be purchased.  Go to https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/lands-pass for more information on how to purchase the pass. Details can also be found on the festival website (link below).  All tours begin and end at Hutchins Street Square in Lodi.  Check in at the registration table at least 15 minutes before the start of the tour. You will be required to show your pass or license at that time.

NOTE: DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS SATURDAY NIGHT

Several of us plan to attend the festival in Lodi November 1-3, and have started signing up for tours.  The plan is to go there for a Saturday tour, stay overnight, and do an early morning fly-out tour Sunday morning.  The Festival web site, linked below, has 16 pages of tour descriptions.  The tour I signed up for was already half full.  There are several hotels near central Lodi; see the festival website for details.

The website for the Lodi Sandhill Crane Festival tours is https://cranefestival.com/tours.php.
Nov
14
Thu
2019
Field Trip Competition @ LBAGC
Nov 14 @ 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Members get to judge all the images submitted to the competition that were taken on the various field trips.

Nov
25
Mon
2019
End of Year Preview and Equipment Sale @ LBAGC
Nov 25 @ 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm

The end of year preview of the winning images from this year.  The winners will be announced at the annual banquet on December 12th.  We will also have a used equipment sale with all proceeds going to the club’s renovation fund.

Dec
12
Thu
2019
Annual Banquet @ LBAGC
Dec 12 @ 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm

The annual banquet.  Doors open at 6PM for socializing and dinner will be at 7PM.  Details to follow.

Jan
12
Sun
2020
Marin Headlands State Park/Point Bonita Lighthouse @ Marin Headlands State Park and Point Bonita Lighthouse
Jan 12 @ 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Join us for our first field trip of the new year, meeting at 2:00 pm on Sunday, January 12th, at the Marin Headlands Visitor Center.  Here are directions:

Take Hwy 101 south and take Exit
442: “Alexander Ave Exit,” just before Golden
Gate Bridge. Turn left at stop, then immediate
right up hill on Conzelman Road. Follow signs
to Marin Headlands destinations.

We’ll meet at the Visitor Center and carpool from there to the Point Bonita Lighthouse Trail.  Another option for those who’ve been to the Lighthouse will be the Mendell Trail to the Bird Island Overlook. The trails are about 1 mile round trip and 3/4 mile round trip respectively.

We’ll meet for dinner at Joe’s Taco Lounge, 382 Miller Ave in Mill Valley at about 6:00; we’ll firm that up once we know how many are going.

Feb
8
Sat
2020
Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival @ Lake Sonoma Fish Hatchery
Feb 8 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Here’s a local journalistic opportunity. The Steelhead Festival happens when the fish are running. The event is free and offers exhibits, tours, fishing, art projects, archery, a bubble show, food trucks, wine and beer, and live music by Heartwood Crossing. We’ll meet for lunch at noon and see if we can find a picnic area. Feel free to bring a picnic lunch if you’d prefer not to buy food from one of the trucks.

Dogs are discouraged due to the large size of the event and the number of children and strollers.

Feb
27
Thu
2020
Program: Journalism @ LBAGC
Feb 27 @ 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Our Journalism program will be presented by Adrian Mendoza.  You can see his work at www.adrianmendozaphotography.com

Feb
28
Fri
2020
Tattoos and Blues @ Flamingo Hotel
Feb 28 @ 12:00 pm – Mar 1 @ 8:00 pm

This event runs through the weekend, Feb 28-Mar 1. It provides an opportunity to do some portrait, journalistic, or creative photography of people getting or inking tattoos. It’s fun and lively and most people readily give permission to be photographed.

Our group will gather at noon on Saturday and people can stay for as long as they like. Food is available on site.

Cost: $20 daily pass, $35 weekend pass

Feb
29
Sat
2020
Tattoos and Blues @ Flamingo Resort and Spa
Feb 29 @ 12:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Tattoos and Blues festival at the Flamingo Resort and Spa, 2777 4th Street in Santa Rosa.  The festival runs the whole weekend (Feb. 28-Mar. 1), and the group date is Saturday the 29th (leap day). It opens at noon and closes at 11 pm on Saturday; there’s also a car show in the parking lot that closes at 6:00 pm.  Cost for a single day pass is $20 and for the weekend $35.
Please RSVP to me to let me know if you’re coming and if you’d like to meet up for lunch. If there’s interest, we can meet for lunch at noon at Yeti Himalayan restaurant, catty corner and across the street from the Flamingo. The address is 190 Farmers Lane, but it’s easier to go into the parking lot from the street that goes right to the Flamingo.
A link to the festival website’s schedule page is below.
Mar
26
Thu
2020
Introduction to Portfolio Competition & N4C @ Online with Zoom
Mar 26 @ 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm