We get to look at pictures at this month's meeting—your pictures. So if you've come back from a trip recently with some travel photos (like Allan Doerksen's Death Valley picture shown here), or if you're a new member who hasn't yet had a chance to show off your best stuff to the rest of the group, or if you've done some new work lately for any reason, bring your prints in to our May 15 meeting. Adding some drama to the event will be the selection of about 10 prints for a group show at the CAC's Corrine Woodman Gallery a few months from now. First priority for this show will be given to work by new members; so if you joined the PAG within the last three years you're especially encouraged to bring in work.

The next Digital Photography Group meeting will be on Monday, May 19, at 7 p.m., in the Community Room at Ray’s Supermarket in North Albany. The topic of emphasis is "supporting programs and plug-ins for image editing and Adobe Photoshop." A laptop or two and a screen will be on hand, so bring software if you want to demonstrate your favorite program or plug-in.In addition, recent photo activities by members and individual problems & projects will be discussed. Bring new art to show. Call or email Dave McIntire at (541) 757-1811 or saxojazz@comcast.net


'When the Planet Was Forming No. 6' by Alexa St. Clair

Five PAG members—Owen Bentley, Rich Bergeman, Mike Bergen, Joe Crockett and Charles Search—will be showing images of people from other cultures in an exhibit called “Stealing Souls” at Sam’s Station, Grant and 29th streets, in May. Their pictures were taken in Mexico, Peru, Turkey, Japan, France, Hungary and Italy, as well as some U.S. locations. “The theme of our show picks up on the reluctance of some people to have their picture taken,” says Bentley, referring to the old belief among some cultures that the camera steals their souls. Although the exhibit is about sharing the human experience, not paparazzi-like exploitation, the photographers all acknowledge ambivalence when photographing people “on the street.” “There is a bit of truth to the term stealing souls,” explains Crockett. “We steal a brief moment from the people we encounter to share who they are with our own feelings of who we are.” The photographs in the exhibit include traditional black-and-white prints by Bentley, manipulated SX-70 photographs by Bergeman, and color photos by Bergen, Crockett and Search.


'The Man in the Window', photo by Joe Crockett

Spring is here and that means the annual spate of photo workshops can't be far behind. If you've got the money and a yearning for learning while making pictures in beautiful places, then you might consider the offerings described under the 'read more' link.


Southern Oregon Coast, photo by Huntington Witherill

The PAG is again planning to host its popular Camera Obscura at the annual DaVinci Days Festival July 18-20. We need some more volunteer to help "booth sit" for two or more hours during the festival. We have about five or six volunteers so far, but would like about eight or ten so we can have two at a time. If you can help out, email rbergeman@proaxis.com. There's also an opportunity to out up work for sale.

Oregon Parks 'GO CLICK!' Contest
Photos of state parks, waysides, historic sites and all other properties of the Oregon Parks & Rec Dept. are eligible for this annual contest. Open to amateur photographers. Deadline Aug. 1.

'Around Oregon' Juried Exhibit
6th annual juried show of Oregon artists at the Corvallis Arts Center. Deadline June 1.

Corrine Woodman Gallery
Small exhibit space at the Corvallis Arts Center open to guild members only.

Majestic Theater Exhibit Space
Opportunity to show work in the theater's lobby.

Art Media Exhibit Space
Art Media's downtown Portland store is looking for limited edition prints to display and sell on consignment. Looking for landscape, abstract, contemporary. For info, email mt@artmediaonline.com

click for more details.