The Mirror Newspapers Reflecting Life Along The Maumee River
BY KRISTI FISH | MIRROR REPORTER — In 1963, a group of interested photographers met up at the Eastmoreland Phar-macy and later created Topics Camera Club.
Now, every month, a group of photographers gathers at Monclova Community Center to discuss their passion for the subject and offer advice to each other.
The group is filled with people of all skill levels and backgrounds who share a passion for photography, said club president Bill Tucholski.
“Everybody here has their own style. That’s why it’s great to get new members. Some of us like black and white, some of us like sunsets, some of us like urban,” Tucholski said.
At every monthly meeting, the group is able to provide each other tips, focus on a new skill and discuss future exhibits and meetups.
Occasionally, several members will meet somewhere to take photos and compare the results. While the members might take photos of the same thing, they each have a different perspective, which can help guide discussions on new techniques.
“We’re all about education here,” Tucholski said.
In addition to educating each other on techniques and composition, they like to focus on skills that might help them with a new challenge or that month’s assignment.
“We also belong to the Photographic Society of America and we submit images, and then they’re scored and we’ll share those and see how they scored,” Tucholski said.
There are certain categories the members submit to with specific requirements, which include monochrome or black and white images. During the January meeting, the members were able to learn of three different techniques for producing a black and white image and understand what subjects result in a good black and white image.
Each person ultimately will create a completely unique photo, which is all part of the fun, Tucholski said. The photographers’ specific niches – animals, portraits, landscapes – lead to all sorts of images.
Club members have found their way to photography for different reasons. Some members have been interested their whole lives and made it their hobby for decades. Others didn’t have the chance to pick it up until recently. It all varies, Tucholski said.
“The fun of this is you can connect with people in many ways – your appreciation for photography or the subject of your photo,” he said.
The group is always hoping to add members who share that common appreciation of photography, so Tucholski encourages those interested to check out the group’s website at topics.visualpursuits.com and consider attending a meeting.
“We meet on the second Wednesday of every month at the Monclova Com-munity Center on the main floor in the Ottawa room,” Tucholski said.
The community center is located at 8115 Monclova Rd., Monclova.
Community members can also see the club’s photographs during an exhibit at the Maumee branch of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library system at 501 River Rd. from August 5 to September 16.
