- Last Updated: 25 October 2019 25 October 2019
Membership
You may become a member of the Thousand Oak Photo Group. Membership fees are $36 annually for the first member of a household. Additional household memberships are available for $10 per year. Membership fees are due and renewable on the anniversary month of your initial membership. TOPG members enjoy all club benefits including our monthly meetings, outings, programs, presentations and technical assistance. Also, as a member of the TOPG, you become a member of the Southern California Council of Camera Clubs, and you have an opportunity to submit images for their monthly photo contests. For more details, see our complete Membership Information page.
- Last Updated: 06 December 2019 06 December 2019
Congratulations Pete!
Pete Scifres received a "Silver Distinction" from the Photographic Society of America for his portfolio, "Winter in the Lofoten Islands." Pete's Statement of Intent for this portfolio: "Images with fantastic skies, fresh snow, empty beaches,colorful homes, and impossibly steep mountains show Norway's Lofoten Islands in their most dazzling and captivating season." See Pete's portfolio in our Recogntions Galleries: Lofoten Islands Portfolio
- Last Updated: 28 January 2020 28 January 2020
End of Year Photo Galleries are now Online
Our best images from 2019 are now online in our Gallery section. This year there are two galleries of 25 images, judged by Chris Broughton.
- Best Images of 2019 - Print Competition
- Best images of 2019 - Digital Composition Challenge
As a reminder, we have galleries of our TOPG competitions, field trips, photographer's special recognition and S4C competitions, all accessible through our gallery page. Enjoy the viewing.
- Last Updated: 05 February 2020 05 February 2020
Thousand Oaks Photo Group Program Meeting
Studio Portraits
Presentation by Suzanne Gonzalez
Thursday, February 20 at 6:00 PM at the Goebel Center
Plan on attending these Program Meetings in the coming months:
- March: "Tell Me a Story" by Nancy Lehrer, - "In this talk I will tell stories - orally and photographically. I will talk about why I tell stories and how to tell stories with your photographs. And, if I am successful, you will have a new question to ask yourself every time you press the shutter: 'What story does this image tell?'"
- Last Updated: 28 January 2020 28 January 2020
Bird Photography at Rancho Simi Community Park
February 22, 2020, 7:00 AM
This is a local venue that offers an excellent opportunity to photograph wild and domestic waterfowl. The Field Trip will be led by Paul Abravaya.
Paul Abravaya, one of best bird photographers, will be on hand to provide pointers and instruction to those who need a bit of a brush-up or are new to bird photography. Since the sunrise is not so great at this venue, we don't have to meet quite so early. The Duck Pond at Rancho Simi Community Park was completely renovated during the summer 2016 and offers a local spot to shoot birds.
We suggest that you bring an extra pair of shoes that you don't want to bring into house after shooting. We are not responsible for you getting in trouble for messing up your house!
Ranch Simi Community Park is located at 1765 Royal Ave, Simi Valley CA 93065. There is NO admission fee. For more information about the park, see the Rancho Simi Community Park web page and the Acon article published on June 24, 2016.
Directions to tRancho Simi Community Park can be found at our 
site.
To participate in this or any TOPG sponsored field trip, you must be an active TOPG member and register for each sponsored event. Find out more about specific field trips at our Meetup page or contact our Field Trip Coordinator, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
- Last Updated: 29 January 2020 29 January 2020
Photo Group General Meeting
Monday, March 2, 2020
Digital Composition Challenge
Challenge Topic: Planes Trains and Automobiles
Judge: Dan Holmes
Website at http://www.danholmesphoto.com/Danholmesphoto.com/Home.html
Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/danholmesphoto/
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dan.holmes2
Meeting Host: Carl Volpe
Scheduled Presentation: TBD
Digital photo entries must be received by MIDNIGHT, on the Wednesday before the meeting. Digital images must be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To ensure that your entry is eligible, review the Rules and Guidelines for submitting entries for the Print Competition night, which can be found in “Contests and Challenges.” Files must be labeled according to Digital Composition Challenge guidelines. Prints should be brought in at least 15-minutes before the meeting to ensure they are properly registered and posted on the display wall.
Note: The maximum digital image resolution for competitions is 1400 x 1280 pixels (width x height).
Thousand Oaks Library
6:00 PM
- Last Updated: 21 January 2020 21 January 2020
LA Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
March 7, 2020 at 9:00 AM (approximate timinig)
Note: NEW Event Date*
Photography at the LA Arboretum and Botanical Gardens will be an excellent opportunity to practice your skills of plant and flower photography.
Our field trip to the LA Arboretum and Botanical Gardens gives us an opportunity to photograph 127 acres of plants, peacocks, and peahens, natural wildlife, and historic buildings. On the site of Rancho Santa Anita, Elias Jackson “Lucky” Baldwin built “Baldwin’s Belvedere,” today known as the Queen Anne Cottage and other buildings. Today, there are theme gardens, water features including lakes and waterfalls, and way too many peafowl. It is an excellent place to photograph.
We will meet a little before 9 AM at arboretum entrance. The admission fee is $9 for adults and $6 for seniors 65 and up. We will shoot pictures in the morning and meet for lunch at the Peacock Cafe which has burgers, sandwiches, soups, and salads.
Directions to the LA Arboretum and Botanical Gardens and other information specific to this field trip can be found at our site.
To participate in this or any TOPG sponsored field trip, you must be an active TOPG member and register for each sponsored event. Find out more about specific field trips at our Meetup page or contact our Field Trip Coordinator, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This Field Trip was originally scheduled for February 22, 2020. The date has been changed to accomodate other activities occuring on that date.
- Last Updated: 04 February 2020 04 February 2020
Landscape Photography Special Interest Group
March 11, 2020
The Landscape Photography Special Interest Group (SIG) meets monthly on the second Wednesday of the month at 6:30 PM in the Goebel Adult Community Center. For more details about this group, refer to the Landscape Photography SIG description article.
Scheduled Topics:
- How I Made this Image: TBD
Goebel Adult Community Center
6:30 PM
- Last Updated: 21 January 2020 21 January 2020
Anacapa Island Field Trip
March 21 via Island Packers
Boat Departs at 9:30 AM (be ther at least 45 minutes early)
Once again the TOPG will try to go to Anacapa Island to photograph the birds, flowers and amazing seascapes. We have tried this the past two years and have been thwarted by bad weather. Hopefully, our third time out will work just fine! Our trip leader, Pete Scifres, has put together a very detailed description about the trip including cost and departure information. Rather that repeat all that information here, please refer to Pete's Anacapa Field Trip Description.
Island Packers has put together some points which you should also think about when planning your expedition. They are included below:
To prepare for the best day possible you will need to:
- Pack food and water for your time on the island. A small cooler with a single handle or a back pack will help to protect your food from the birds that populate the island year round. There are no shops or restaurants on the island. Be prepared to hike out all your trash.
- Anacapa Island has little shade, so sun screen and a hat will help to protect you from UV that is present even on overcast days.
- Weather conditions can change rapidly in the Santa Barbara Channel and it is always best to dress in layers and bring a jacket along (even in the summer months).
- Flat shoes with rubber soles are best for both the boat and the island. We recommend hiking sandals or sneakers. We suggest that you do not wear loose or leather soles sandals or flip flops on your island adventure.
- Camera and binoculars will add to your trip and this island offers some spectacular photo opportunities.
- Please arrive at your harbor of departure 45 minutes before your schedule mainland departure.
To participate in this or any TOPG sponsored field trip, you must be an active TOPG member and register for each sponsored event. Find out more about specific field trips at our Meetup page or contact our Field Trip Coordinator, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Special Note: YOU must purchase your own tickets from Island Packers. Please read the full trip description.
- Last Updated: 29 January 2020 29 January 2020
Photo Group General Meeting
Tuesday, March 31, 2020 (in lieu of early April meeting)
Print Competition
Challenge Topic: Abandoned
Judge: TBD
Website at TBD
Instagram at TBD
Facebook at TBD
Meeting Host: Steve Friedman
Scheduled Presentation: TBD
Digital photo entries must be received by MIDNIGHT, on the immediate Wednesday before the meeting. Digital images must be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To ensure that your entry is eligible, review the Rules and Guidelines for submitting entries for the Print Competition night, which can be found in “Contests and Challenges.” Files must be labeled according to Print Competition rules. Prints should be brought in at least 15-minutes before the meeting to ensure they are properly registered and posted on the display wall.
Note: The maximum digital image resolution for competitions is 1400 x 1280 pixels (width x height).
Thousand Oaks Library
6:00 PM
- Last Updated: 28 January 2020 28 January 2020
Descanso Gardens
Friday, April 3 at 8:45 AM
To avoid large crowds on the weekend, the photography club will go on Friday, April 3, 2020 to the Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge. Descanso Gardens was once a private estate which became a public botanical garden which includes a Camelia Forest, a Lilac Forest, Japanese Gardens, a 5-acre Rose Garden, an Oak Woodland which is a restored 7-acre habitat for native plants and animals, an Ancient Forest, an Oak Grove, and a Mulberry Pond. We expect to see the lovely tulips, which will still be in season.
You can download a map of Descanso Gardens if you go online to https://www.descansogardens.org/. The Gardens are located at the intersection of the 210 and 2 Freeways at 1418 Descanso Drive, La Canada Flintridge, CA 910ll. There is limited free parking so plan to get there by 8:45 even though the Gardens do not open until 9. You line up to buy tickets and lines can be long. Descanso Gardens has fairly lenient photography rules. If you want to review them see https://www.descansogardens.org/visit/garden-etiquette-and-practices/ and https://www.descansogardens.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Photography-Policy-1.pdf.
Tickets are $9 for adults and $6 for seniors. If you go online to https://www.descansogardens.org/tickets/ you can buy tickets online and avoid the lines to buy tickets when you get there.
To participate in this or any TOPG sponsored field trip, you must be an active TOPG member and register for each sponsored event. Find out more about specific field trips at our Meetup page or contact our Field Trip Coordinator, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..