Sonora Photo Club

06/02/2026

We live so close to Yosemite, so we love to take photos there. But with the hectic crowds there are some more remote areas of the park so see and photographs.

Have you been to these two locations?

Sentinel Dome
This wide trail leads mostly across open granite with little shade. Scramble up Sentinel Dome's granite slope to enjoy 360-degree views of Yosemite Valley and the high Sierra. Consider taking this hike at sunset or during a full moon, but remember to bring a flashlight or headlamp.

Distance: 2 miles (3.2 km) round-trip
Elevation gain: 400 ft (120 m) elevation gain
Time estimate: 1-2 hours

Taft Point
This trail leads through forest and meadow to the rim above Yosemite Valley, including superb views of El Capitan and Yosemite Falls. Near Taft Point, you'll see The Fissures, which are narrow fractures in the granite called joints. Use caution around these fractures, which include drops of up to 2,000 feet.

Distance: 2.2 miles (3.5 km) round-trip
Elevation gain: 200 ft (60 m) elevation gain on return
Time estimate: 1-2 hours

The Sentinel Dome and Taft Point trails can be combined into a longer loop hike by connecting via the Pohono Trail.

And how about Tuolumne Meadows? The meadows are characterized by the meandering Tuolumne River and are much bigger in size than they look at a first glance. A photographer will benefit tremendously by spending a few hours exploring after parking the car at 1) Lambert Dome parking area or 2) Cathedral Lake trailhead. The former is at the eastern end (close to the Wilderness Center) while the latter is about 2 miles west of 1).

We all love the classic Tunnel view, seasonal Firefall at Horsetail Falls, and Mirror Lake. What are your favorite spots?

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05/30/2026

I just saw this competition today. They use smarter entry so if you have something ready to enter now is you chance.

The deadline has been extended to June 3rd.

https://www.facebook.com/YosemiteSierraArtists/posts/pfbid02fhPS29fnuSrQTCDHd3Lee3ZgrU1QTwVa7uRSop91B7U2YEKK6pB2Eu8a8543kACQl

Yosemite Sierra Artists Annual Open Art Competition and Exhibition Annual Art Exhibition featuring the works of Yosemite Sierra Artists Members DATES EXHIBIT – June 15 through July 6, 2026DEADLINE TO ENTER – Sunday, May 31, 2026ART INTAKE – Wednesday, June 10, 2026: 11 AM – 5 PM RECEPTION .....

05/24/2026

What do you know about minimalism in photography? Minimalism in photography is all about stripping and image down to its essentials.

Elements of Minimalism
• Simplicity — Reduce the scene to its essentials
• Negative Space — Let emptiness strengthen your subject
• Composition — Use placement to create balance and impact
• Isolation — Highlight a single subject or detail
• Color — Use bold color, muted tones, or monochrome intentionally
• Lines & Shapes — Strong geometry creates visual clarity

Here are a few tutorials that show great examples and offer tips for training your eye to see minimalistic opportunities:

https://youtu.be/0MDpIDE6Cgc?si=eRkxAzI2Ts-vfdmw
https://youtu.be/MY2RPw_h5cY?si=2sx9F5lw18LgZ_dw

This video has processing tips as well
https://youtu.be/fu5N7u4RGaA?si=6ZrFgT7N6E7IugjZ

Our next meeting is on July 12, 2026 from 1pm to 4pm at the Tuolumne County Library. come see what we're about, meet our members, and join the club.

Send a message to learn more

05/15/2026

05/15/2026

Hwy 108 is now open — time to head up to the pass with your camera. The snowmelt is feeding creeks, rivers, and lakes, which means perfect conditions for photographing water in motion.

Want to capture moving water? It all comes down to shutter speed and the look you want.

Frozen Motion
Great for waterfalls, rapids, splashes, and texture.
Fast shutter speeds 1/500s or faster
Aperture f/4–f/5.6
ISO 100–400
Freezes droplets, spray, and crisp detail

Silky Motion
Ideal for streams, cascades, and soft flowing water.
Long exposures 1–30 seconds (tripod required)
Aperture f/8–f/11
ISO as low as possible
Use ND filters in bright conditions
Bulb mode works for extra‑long exposures

Whatever style you choose, don’t forget your tripod, neutral density filters, and polarizer.

We used this subject as our recent Theme of the Month and saw some wonderful results at the meeting.

05/09/2026

The Sonora Photo Club has their May club meeting this Sunday, May 10, 2026, from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at the Tuolumne County Library, 480 Greenley Rd in Sonora. Our theme this month is Hidden Details - Close-up details revealing what most overlook. This should produce a very interesting slideshow. Also on the agenda is a viewing of photos taken by our members on the April club fieldtrip to Knights Foundry. We look forward to seeing you! The public is welcome, and so is your Mom! Or if you are a Mom, bring your adult offspring with, they would love to see what you do with your hobby. After all, Sunday is Mothers Day!

05/09/2026

If you’ve been looking for a reason to grab your camera, this weekend is packed with opportunities.

🐎🐂 The Mother Lode Round-Up – Sonora
Parade: Saturday, May 9 at 10:00 AM on Washington St.
Great for street photography — colorful characters, horses, and plenty of candid moments.

Rodeo: Mother Lode Fairgrounds
Saturday at 2:00 PM and Sunday at Noon (Kiddie Rodeo).
Fast action, riders, animals — perfect for practicing motion shots.

🐸 Junior Frog Jump – Angels Camp
Utica Park, 10:00 AM–1:00 PM Kids, frogs, and lots of movement make for fun, unpredictable photos.

🏔️ Sonora Pass is open! The beautiful scenery, fresh air, and endless landscape possibilities .

🐕 Mutt March & Dog Show – Murphys Community Park Always full of personality and great expressions: who doesn't love a picture of a dog?

So if you want to, get out their an capture the action and beauty. You nenver know, you might just produce the winning image for upcoming shows.

04/27/2026

Our group explored the theme of natural framing for a theme of the month. It is a compositional technique that emphasizes the subject by using elements in the foreground, at the sides, above, and below the subject. Participants enjoyed a slideshow presented at the meeting, and we shared several samples illustrating the concept.

Here are some tips on the subject.

https://ohmycamera.com/natural-framing-in-photography/

04/25/2026

Is anybody ready for pinhole camera day? Here's an article to tell you a little bit about it if you care to participate. If you get an interesting photo digitize it and send it to the club email so all are members can all see it.

Weekend Edition Saturday on NPR One | 3:57

04/22/2026

It may still be brisk once this rainy weather passes, but the sky will be clean and clear. That's a good time to go out at night and take some spectacular photos. I am posting a YouTube video created by our member and Columbia College instructor, Jeffrey Luhn. This is a video from 2020, so the comments regarding covid are outdated, and can be disregarded. But the education on taking good photographs at night is very helpful. He offers tips and then encourages you to go out and try them. You've nothing to lose and all sorts of thing to learn. Let us know how you did.

1 comment. "Night Photography Lecture Mar 30 2020"