Camera Club open house highlights transition to digital

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The Green Valley Camera Club will open its doors for a special event Saturday, celebrating a year in its 3,200-square-foot facility in the Recreation Village at Santa Rita Springs. All Green Valley Recreation members who are interested in learning about digital cameras and the many things you can do with the new cameras are invited to visit the club during an open house.

Club members will be available to demonstrate and explain the club’s new and extensive digital imaging and teaching equipment. The club will also highlight a new informational movie about the club.

The movie stars the club’s spokesperson “Digatina Camara” — a talking digital camera. “Digatina” is a creation of photographer Don Spear and videographer Phil Wenstrand, who produced the movie. Club member Anne Cavanagh is “Digatina’s voice. Also appearing in the movie are several other club members relating how the club has helped them learn more about their own digital cameras. The purpose of the 10-minute film is to inform club visitors of benefits of club membership. It will also be available for viewing on the Camera Club website: www.gvcameraclub.org.

According to longtime member Spear, a past president, the GV Camera Club has been one of GVR’s most active hobby clubs for more than 30 years.

Originally located in the East Center, it maintained a chemical darkroom, a photo studio and a classroom. Over the years its active membership reached 200. However, the advent of the digital camera and computer imaging has caused the membership to grow to more than 800 members and for the club to “re-invent itself.” Now the club operates year-around, holding classes, seminars and meetings. January through March the club conducts a multi-week photography course that covers many aspects of digital imaging. Its primary purpose is to make each attendee comfortable with his or her own digital camera. Over the last five years more than 1,500 GVR members have completed classes.

The new facility provides several computers and printers with the latest software. The facility also has scanners to digitize 35mm slides, a hands-on teaching room where each student has his/her own computer during the class, a modern photo studio, mat cutting and framing equipment, and an extensive reference library.

The club’s walls are covered with exhibit prints produced by the members. During the year the members exhibit their prints in several GVR Recreation Center galleries.

If you go:

Green Valley Camera Club open house

Saturday, March 28, noon to 2:30 p.m.

Recreation Village at Santa Rita Springs, 921 Via Rio Fuerte

Free refreshments

Camera Club operational hours (October through April): weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon; summer hours 9 a.m. to noon

Information: 520-648-1315