Welcome to the Schenectady Photographic Society
- When and where are meetings held? Meetings are on the first, second and third Wednesdays of the month from the end of September through the beginning of May. They are held in the fellowship hall of The First United Methodist Church at 603 State St. in Schenectady. The entrance and parking lot are on Chapel Street. An additional parking lot is available up the hill on Chapel Street before you reach the church.
- Where can I find the latest schedule of meetings and events? https://spsphoto.org/event-calendar/
- Can I come to meetings and events if I’m not a member? No. Unfortunately, since we have gone 100% virtual with our meetings we can no longer offer free access to non-members.
- Why should I become a member of SPS? To share your passion for photography with like-minded individuals and be inspired to create and improve your photographic vision. Also you need to be a member to enter the photo competitions and participate in our traveling exhibits.
- How do I join SPS? You can join online at https://spsphoto.org/join-the-schenectady-photographic-society/ or bring a check to a meeting and pay the treasurer. Membership dues are $55/year for an individual, $65 for family and $20 for students.
- Where/how do I find out if a meeting/event is canceled due to weather? Members are in an email list which will provide cancellation information by 3pm. There is also the SPS website https://spsphoto.org and a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/schenectadyphotographicsociety/ .
- How do I submit a photo for the print competition? The Print Program is held on the first Wednesday of each month. There are three categories of competition: Color, Monochrome and Assigned Topic. A total of three prints may be entered each month, with no more than two in any single category. Prints must be mounted or matted on white or black mounting board. Entered prints must measure at least 5×7 and be no larger than 16×20. Mounts must be a minimum of 8×10” and may not exceed 16×22”. A submission card found at https://spsphoto.org/programs/print/print-night-submission-card-creator/ is to be attached to the back of the mount. Further details may be found at https://spsphoto.org under Competitions.
- How do a submit I photo for the digital image competition? The Digital Image program is held on the second Wednesday of each month. There are two categories; Assigned Topic and General. Each entrant may enter up to three entries with a maximum of two in any category. Digital images are uploaded at https://spsphoto.org under Competitions. The image should be no more than 1400 pixels wide and no more than 1050 pixels high.
- Where do I find the Assigned topics? https://spsphoto.org under Competitions.
- What is the Luba Ricket Creativity Competition? The Luba Ricket Creativity Competition honors Luba’s unique artistic vision. Luba was a former SPS member. Entries to this competition are encouraged to push boundaries with an “anything goes” philosophy. You can expect to see both digital and print images as well as books and dioramas.
- What is the photo essay competition? A photo essay is a group of photographs, usually with supplementary text, that conveys a unified story. There is a book category and a projected category. Further details may be found at https://spsphoto.org under Competitions.
- Does the club have field trips? Yes, they are announced at meetings and through the club email list and sometimes on the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/schenectadyphotographicsociety/ and the SPS website https://spsphoto.org .
- What are the SPS Traveling Exhibits all about? Members supply prints ready for hanging to be exhibited by the club at various venues. Recent exhibits have been at the Saratoga Springs Public Library, the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center and the Irish American Heritage Museum.
- Who are the current leadership of the club? The club is led by a board of directors. A complete listing of the board can be found at https://spsphoto.org/board-of-directors-2/ Some key officers are: President: Rich Schreibstein, Vice President: Linda Tommasulo, Treasurer: Pat McCormick.
You can download a copy of this FAQ at https://spsphoto.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/SPS-FAQ.pdf.