Welcome to the Gateway Camera Club
Our goals are to share ideas, knowledge, and insight; to help improve the skills and abilities of our members; and to have some fun while enjoying photography. We recognize photography is changing, growing and with ever-emerging technologies, more exciting than ever! Gateway was one of the first local camera clubs to embrace digital photography and, as a result, we have some very knowledgeable digital photographers. Many award-winning members of Gateway Camera Club honed their talents and abilities through the mentoring they found at Gateway.
Our club is very active and we meet on most Tuesdays from September to June 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Want to compete, learn and share? Check out our exciting schedule. Visitors and new members are always welcome. Just stop in and introduce yourself. We hope you'll soon find an aspect of Gateway that fits your interests. Please browse our website, learn more about what we do, and enjoy. And remember, enthusiasm is catchy.
Come and catch some!
The slideshow to the right are images from Gateway's April 2026 Monthly Competition
Interested in seeing what Gateway Camera Club is all about? You are welcome to join as a Guest Member for 30 days. Just send us an Email and you will be added to the attendee list for the next 30 days.
Upcoming Events
April 21st - Zoom Only - Image Study - Zoom - Bob Singer
Email your images for review and discussion to Bob Singer at Email for image study on April 21. He's asking that you please put "Gateway Image Review" in the subject line of your email and send them to him by 7 pm. on April 17th. The images should be size as you would size them for competition.
April 28th - Watch Party No Zoom - "Mobile Photography" presented by Paul Toussaint
Paul will discuss the use of photo editing apps, such as Snapseed, IColorama, and others, for hand-held devices. He’ll show how these apps can help edit, enhance and basically do what it takes to turn an ordinary, boring photo into an exciting piece of art.
He’ll talk about different options for presenting and printing photographs, including wood, metal, textured paper and glass.
Bio: A traditionally trained photographer, Paul, has been hailed a ' pioneer' in the iPhonic art movement by mastering the use of apps to create fine art images presented on wood, canvas, textured paper, and metal. A recipient of numerous awards, his works have been shown in NYC Times Square, displayed in galleries and across the US and Europe, and featured in video installations in Italy and Germany.
His solo exhibition Scapes: A Photographic Journey through the iPhone, allowed Paul to become the world’s most successful selling iPhonoeographer. The Worcester Art Museum invited him to launch its day artist residency program. The National Institute of Art History recognized mobile photography as a new art medium and picked Paul’s Stranger with Candy as one of its image examples.
Paul does workshops and instructional speaking at various venues including the Apple Store in New York City and MacWorld / iWorld Conference in San Francisco. Paul is co-founder of The Empty Spaces Project, a non-Profit Gallery, in Putnam, Connecticut. You can see more of his work at www.PaulToussaint.com
May 3rd - May Competition Deadline - Theme is Reflection - Judge is Ray Guillette
This category includes windows, mirrors or any glass surface as the reflecting medium. The central compositional element should be the reflection. The reflected element may be a person, a structure or any object.
May 5th - Watch Party No Zoom - "Finding Drama in Architecture" presented by Henry Rinne
So why do I photograph architecture? A building’s dramatic form narrates a story, and I look to reveal this narrative in the buildings I photograph. Some structures are simply monumental forms—a monumentality that must be conveyed through the image. Other forms are mysterious. Their tales are present but elusive to our sensibilities. Something is hidden behind the facade, and contrast brings out the impact of the forms and their sensuality. Since structures are made to be used and provide context to people’s lives, I try to create an image that resonates with the narrative of human life.
Bio: In 2018, Henry Rinne retired as Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida, after a forty-year career in higher education. Prior to his move to Florida, Henry was a dean and faculty member at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. He earned his Ph.D. in comparative arts at Ohio University and also holds degrees from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Rinne has received numerous teaching awards and has presented at national conferences. His engaging and open speaking style has been praised by program directors such as Lon Anderson of the Cape Fear Camera Club: “Henry—thank you soooo much. You offered a really interesting, thoughtful program that our members Clearly enjoyed. Way to go!!”
Rinne’s interest in photography began when he watched prints emerge in the developer in his father’s dark room. Black & white has always been his primary focus in landscape, architecture, nature, and portraiture, but he loves to find dramatic colors in the landscape and has started experimenting with infrared. Rinne has exhibited in New York, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida, California, and North Carolina. His work has been published in books and magazines including Lenswork #168 (June 2024), Downbeat, and Lenswork’s Our Magnificent Planet and Light Glorious Light. He considers the wet darkroom to be a wonderful learning experience, but digital has supplanted any interest in “souping” film and dealing with hypo-stained fingers.
May 19th - Watch Party No Zoom - "Photographing Ball-Jointed Dolls" presented byPolina Plotnikova
The saying goes that every cloud has a silver lining. Back in 2019, with pandemic in full swing and all photographic horizons seemingly heavily overcast, Polina’s silver lining presented itself as an idea to try her hand in photographing Ball-Jointed Dolls. She already had plenty of experience with still life photography, and who was there to say that dolls are not a form of still life?
She has encountered many remarkable models: strikingly original, hugely inspiring, with lots of stories to tell. An added bonus is that, unlike some human models, dolls are extremely obedient and hard-working; they don’t get tired or hungry and are not at all obsessed with checking their Instagram accounts every five minutes!
She is often told how life-like the dolls are in my images. She will let you in on a little secret – it is never my aim to deceive a viewer, to pass a doll as a human. What she aims for instead is known as "suspension of disbelief", when everything in the image looks so natural that you simply refuse to accept that what you are looking at is not a real person. It is often the smallest of details that helps her achieve that - a tilt of a head, a drop of a shoulder, a fold of a dress, a light shining through the hair. Designing costumes and sets also plays a key role in telling a story. Overall, it is an elaborate time-consuming process, but she love every step of it.
Bio: They say that a photographer is either a picture taker, or a picture maker…
… and Polina is firmly in the picture makers' club. While fully appreciating the "what you see is what you get" approach, She is much more interested in chasing an ever-elusive image that appears in her mind's eye, an image that conveys her feelings and emotions, rather than remains a mere statement of fact. Her favourite photography subjects are flowers, still life, and also capturing my impressions when travelling.
She has numerous photography distinctions and a number of photographic awards, including eight Gold and Silver Gilt medals at the Royal Horticultural Society photography competitions, category winner of Food Photographer of The Year competition, various distinctions at each of the International Garden Photographer of The Year competitions, and multiple medals and distinctions awarded by various Photography Salons. She is proud to be a member of the Arena Photographers group.
There are several Creative Photography courses and one2one sessions that she is currently teaching; She also often gets invited to speaker to various clubs around the South East England. She thinks of herself as a studio photographer. As much as she enjoys outdoor photography done by others, it is not something that she feel inspired by, or confident in doing. Her usual approach to creating a new image means constructing an image in my head first - visualising the overall composition, the objects she is going to use, the overall colour scheme, the lighting, the background, etc.
Flowers and still life are her favourite photography subjects. Still life in particular is perfect for a perfectionist like Polina - no one fidgets or makes faces, no sudden gust of wind or some other quirk of ever-changing weather can spoil your shot. But, by the same token, you cannot count on something interesting just happening all of a sudden - it is all up to you; the choices are infinite, and the final result is entirely in your own hands.
The approach Polina takes to flower photography is somewhat similar to that of a portrait photographer - for every flower and plant she photographs, she always try to find its unique look, study its mood and character, and ultimately unlock the hidden beauty of her models. A successful flower portrait attempts to discover something unique in a flower, something hidden or not necessarily obvious at first sight.
While appreciating the natural beauty of plants and trying to stay true to their original look, she does not limit her point of view to purely botanical. Instead, she tries to lift a flower off its typical setting and put it into indeterminate space, where its beauty can be seen in all its purity.
For the full list of her photographic awards please <Awards — Polina Plotnikova Photography>
Field Trips, Events of Interests, SIGs
Lighting SIG Meeting Saturday - April 18
Our Lighting meetings are for all members, regardless of how little or how much experience you have with adding your own light to people photographs. We cover both the technical side and the artistic side of lighting the human face.
We know that you (probably) aren't striving to become a studio photographer. Our Lighting meetings help you with your everyday photos both indoors and outdoors. Come see how adding a little light from compact, inexpensive electronic flash will enhance your photos in a way you hadn't dreamed of.
Shortly before the meeting, I will send out a "Need-to-know" email to the registered group.
Note: Lighting learning does not start and end with our meetings. Lighting learning happens all month long between meetings when you write to me with your photographic lighting questions.
Buz Bragdon
NEW - Wang - State House Field Trip - April 24th
Come join us on April 24 (a Friday) for a two-part field trip (actually, three parts if you count lunch, and, well, we always count lunch!).
We’ll head to the Massachusetts State House first. The building, designed by architect Charles Bulfinch, is considered a masterpiece of Federal architecture and was designated a National Historic Landmark. Highlights include: Doric Hall, Nurses Hall, Memorial Hall (the Hall of Flags), The Senate Chamber, The House of Representatives Chamber (the Blue Room), the Holy Mackerel and the Sacred Cod.
Then we’ll have lunch, TBD.
After lunch we’ll head to the Wang Theater, a cornerstone of Boston’s cultural landscape. First opened in 1925, it began as a movie “cathedral” and home to vaudeville musicals and big bands. Recognized as a National Historic Landmark after its 1983 restoration, the venue boasts a lavish design inspired by Louis XIV’s palace, with intricate murals, scagliola, and marbleized surfaces. Its massive stage, one of the largest in the country, makes it ideal for large-scale productions like Broadway musicals, ballet performances, and major concerts.
Cost for the Wang tour and photographic opportunity will vary with our group’s size, but should be in the range of $17 - $20 per person. There is no charge for our visit to the Massachusetts State House (your tax dollars at work!).
When you sign up, I will assume that you plan to attend both parts of the field trip and lunch. However, if you choose to attend only in the morning or in the afternoon, just let me know—(Email) and indicate whether you plan to join us for lunch also.
REGISTRATION: /club/Event_Registration.aspx?EventId=d213de6b-aa2c-4cae-918a-58765413e9e7
The photos below are my efforts—taken with wide angle and/or short telephoto lenses. Come join us!
Lois
Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary Exhibit - April 1st to May 31st
Spring is almost here! And that means that it’s time, once again, to exhibit our amazing wildlife and landscape images at the Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, 280 Eliot Street Natick, MA 01760. This is a great opportunity to share the wonderful images of Gateway with our surrounding community.
Since Broadmoor is a wildlife sanctuary, focusing on nature, we are asking that images in this exhibit be either flora, fauna or landscape images with focus on natural surroundings.
We will be installing the exhibit on Wednesday, April 1st at Noon. The exhibit will be on display until Sunday, May 31st, when exhibitors will claim their individual images. We will be displaying a binder with Artist's Statements in the exhibit area.
An Artists’ reception is planned for Sunday, April 12th from 1 to 3 PM.
2026 Gateway Photo Scavenger Hunt
Members rev up your cameras. Consult the list of photo prompts. And join the hunt!
From now until Sunday, May 17th you
can enter images into the Scavenger Hunt gallery for all to see. Be
creative. Break the rules. Each photo prompt is open to interpretation.
And no one will be judging you.
Prizes will be awarded at our end-of-the-year
party for the three members with the most entries and a ‘soon-to
be-valuable’ prize for the first member to reach 100+ entries.
Download the guidelines and the list from links below or under the “Activities” tab.
So have FUN and happy hunting!
2026 Gateway Scavenger Hunt Photographic Guidelines
Scavenger Hunt 2026 Checklist2
Photographer's Event List
Buz is creating an events of interest to photographers list. This is intended to be an interactive list with any member sending Buz an event that they've learned about. The event can be anything that you think would be of interest to photographers. These could be larger regional events or small home town celebrations of some kind. Any theme might be a good event: specialty sports (nat'l leagues, we already know about), state and local fairs and festivals, flowers and gardens, historic, specihttps://www.meetup.com/bostonareaphotography/photos/33437602/512049040/al visiting exhibits at museums, and events that defy categorization. As you send Buz events, he will add to the list and send out periodic updated e-mails.
April 11th - Holi Festival of Colors - Two locations:
Hindu Holi Festival - 711 S Franklin St - Holbrook, MA - https://www.meetup.com/bostonareaphotography/events/313842008/?eventOrigin=group_events_list
Sach Rang-Holi - Weston Nurseries, 93 East Main St, Hopkinton 2PM - https://allevents.in/hopkinton/sach-rang-holi-festival-of-colors-2026/200029762717715
April 18th - May 10th - Daffodil & Tulip Festival - Thursdays to Sunday - Two locations:
Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens - North Andover - tickets - https://thetrustees.org/program/spring-bulb-shows/#schg
The Run of the Charles returns to the banks of the historic Charles River on Sunday, April 26, 2026. Recognized as Boston’s Premier Paddling Race, this annual spring tradition brings together hundreds of paddlers from across New England to compete in canoe, kayak, and paddleboard divisions.
June 21st - Bay State Motor Festival - Cushing Memorial Park - Framingham
Cushing Memorial Park in Framingham will host the 2nd annual showcase of classic and vintage cars on Sunday, June 21 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Last year, the first year of this event, 200 cars were on display and they're guessing even more will be appearing this year.
https://baystatemotorfestival.com/
June 29th - St Peter's Fiesta - Gloucester - http://www.stpetersfiesta.org/index.html
General Links:
NECCC Mega List of Events - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1En0ls3WuiMt-mWiCoUW57d3rPTi0RXfdz9ch3Nn_Rac/edit?tab=t.0
BellForge Arts Center, https://bellforge.org/events/ On the grounds of the old Medfield State Hospital
Visit New England - can enter a date range and type of activity https://www.visitnewengland.com/all/events/events/
Remaining Themed Categories for 2025-2026 Competition Year
May - Reflection in Glass - Judge Ray Guillette
This category includes windows, mirrors or any glass surface as the reflecting medium. The central compositional element should be the reflection. The reflected element may be a person, a structure or any object.
Multi-Club Categories for 2025-2026
Black & White Landscape
Double Take
Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) and/or Multiple Exposure
Machinery
Minimalism/Simplicity
On the Road
Softness
Textures in Nature
Definitions are here>>> /d/dac6a2e1-9508-4806-8933-ebd69c3bb9e8
Instagram
GCC has established two Instagram hashtags to promote our club member's pictures. These are as follows:
#gatewaycameraclubma
#gcc_ma
We are looking forward to seeing your pictures under our hashtags on Instagram. Please contact anyone on the Social Media Committee (Fred Floru, Beth DeBor, or Susan McIntyre) if you have any questions.
Sponsored by A proud member of Join Our Facebook Group Instagram
#gatewaycameraclubma
#gcc_ma
Design
Copyright Notice: Copyright © Gateway Camera Club, Framingham, MA, 1966-2026 -- All rights reserved. All included content copyright the original creator.