I have talked with those who judge photographs for the Professional Photographers of America’s International Photographic Competitions. They gave me a document explaining the “The Twelve Elements of a Merit Image” that they all are required to use: 1. Impact, 2. Technical Excellence  3. Creativity  4. Style  5 Composition 6.Presentation  7. Color Balance  8. Center of Interest  9. Lighting  10. Subject Matter  11. Technique  12. Story Telling.

Now that we have cell phone cameras, we are all professional photographers. Most of us are not professionals at photography but we are professionals at our life. We use our cameral to bring fun to what ever we do in our profession of living and not to win an International Photograph Contest.

The Happenings says the Photo Club will be meeting on the first Friday in December. There is no better place to share, learn, and meet photographer birds-of-a-feather who help each other.  So, the purpose of my rambling here is to say:” I want you to be at that meeting.”

But, for right now,  think about why you grab that camera or cell phone while doing your own personal (professional) living.    For sure, I want you to have the confidence to use your photos regardless of how they stack up to the 12 elements of merit.

Believe me, I want to make better photos but really their “contestant” merit quality is not what matters to me. I just want to make you stop and look at what I saw – maybe ponder the same story & emotion (element 12) that I did when I took the photo – or cause you to see the event I saw and make up your own story.  So now you know why I grabbed the camera.  I would love to get together with others that grab theirs for the same reason (photographer birds-of-my-feather) and I  hope to see you at the Photo Club meeting.

Here are two photos I grabbed from my thousands of photos:

On the streets of NJ, this man caught my attention – I assumed he was was rushing to the Synagogue – maybe overslept – anyway he showed an image of importance and of being late – I watched and snapped a shot.

Again, NJ, I spent an afternoon at a youth horse show. Love horses and horse people – the audience.  I snapped this shot  to show how many were on cell phones (Back row) – but I caught another story – “Is that golden hair the man’s pony tail or is the a youthful girl between me and the man??” -I am still not sure.

As you swing through life, use your photos, share with all and talk about them with  birds-of-a-feather.  Come to the Photo Club meetings.