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A Message From The Walk Leader

Be sure to use the “Contact Leader” link if you need to send me an email.

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What a great day we had yesterday. We had 53 photographers with at least 6 people driving over 100 miles to attend. WOW! That’s commitment!

Now that we’ve filled our memory cards, it’s time to edit down from all those great photos and find two that you would like to enter into the WWPW contest. Use either of the methods described above to do this. Remember that the deadline is next Saturday July 25. I will select one winner that will represent our city’s photo walk to the WWPW contest. That winner receives a copy of Scott’s new book.

The railroad museum’s contest details will be announced shortly and I’ll send an email to everyone with the details.

Here’s more fun news, I’ve set up a Flickr group pool for our photo walk so that we can all see what each other shot. Feel free to upload and share anything you are proud of.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/csrmphotowalk2009/

Again, thanks for making this a memorable day and enter the photo contests.

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NEW PHOTO CONTEST ADDED!

Please check the updates at the bottom of this message.

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Hello everyone and welcome to our Worldwide Photo Walk for Old Sacramento and the California State Railroad Museum.

If you’re a rail fan and have always wanted to make photographs of the exhibits, vintage rail cars and locomotives in the California State Railroad Museum, without tourists and use a TRIPOD, this is your chance. I have acquired special access for our group to the museum from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. This has never been granted by the museum before. We will meet at the main entrance to the museum at 7 a.m. Be prompt because once the doors are locked behind us, that’s it until the public is allowed in at 10 a.m.!

For those not interested in trains, the Old Sacramento area is a great photography destination. The cool temperature and early morning light will provide great opportunities to capture a glimpse of the old west. Sacramento was the gateway to the Sierra foothills for gold seekers in 1849. Present-day Sacramento has set aside this area along the historic Sacramento River, complete with the original Delta King riverboat, to give visitors the ability to walk in the footsteps of many famous California pioneers. Be sure to bring plenty of camera memory cards, you’ll need them!

If you choose to photograph in the museum, you will need to pay the regular admission of $8 for the day. Feel free to re-enter the museum after the photo walk to continue exploring everything it has to offer except without your tripod. You will have access to all regular public areas of the museum but normal rules of climbing on the equipment etc. are still in effect. Staff can help you with your set ups by temporarily moving “No Climbing” signs etc.

This is the first time the museum has ever allowed public access to a group before normal operating hours and allowed the use of tripods. This is a truly unique opportunity.

After the photo walk, we will meet in the museum’s Stanford Gallery to “chimp” our photos of the museum or around Old Sacramento and just gloat over our unusual access. You will have the chance to review your photos for entering the photo contests.

There is plenty of parking on the street and in the parking structures and dozens of restaurants for you to eat in around Old Sacramento after our “chimp” session in the Stanford Gallery.

Most of you already know me if you’re from this area. I am a photographer and worked for The Sacramento Bee for 27 years. I’m the photographer who covers the fall foliage in the Eastern Sierra (we’re doing it on Sacbee.com/leaves again this year) and now that I’m retired from The Bee, I freelance and teach a photo class at Cosumnes River College (a premiere photography program I should say).

I have some other announcements and tie-ins, in addition to Scott’s free book, for our photo walk participants coming soon so check back for that (it will be really cool).

Meanwhile, SIGN UP NOW! Only 50 can join! We will fill up fast so I don’t want you to get stuck looking through the windows of the museum wishing you were inside.

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6/28/09

Hi everyone, in response to several emails, all museum participants need to sign a museum release form stipulating that the photos you make can not be used for commercial purposes and are for your own personal use.

Second, check out the prizes page for the world wide photo contest. Can you believe everything awarded to the Grand Prize winner! A Nikon D700! Wow. That’s reason enough to attend. I’m really looking forward to meeting all of you. Dave

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7/6/09

Our walk is full. If your plans change and you find yourself unable to attend, please delete your name from the list so that others may join. I am making a wait list so feel free to email me your name. Thanks.

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7/10/09

Hello everyone,

The WWPW folks have their own photo contest where I select one photo from our group and that winner wins a copy of Scott’s new book.

We thought that it’s a shame more people couldn’t win something and that there should be more locally.

The California State Railroad Museum and I have put together our own local photo contest for this photo walk. You can use the same photo that you submit to me for the WWPW contest or submit a different photo made on the same photo walk. There will be three place winners and three Honorable Mentions.

I’ve contacted Canon and they are supplying six generic prizes such as gadget bags etc. that any photo enthusiast would be able to use.

So now you have it. The contest will be simple and we’ll have more information when you check in. It’s another great reason to enjoy your photo walk in Old Sacramento or the railroad museum.

So here’s another reason to get out and sharpen your photo skills. Like I tell my students, “One photo a day, every day”. If you’ll do that it’s amazing how much you will find to photograph and that, in-turn, opens the door to developing new photography skills.

Let’s start putting those photons to good use!

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7/11/09

The passenger station across the street from the museum will also be open only for photo walk participants. Feel free to browse around for some interesting details of locomotives and train cars in that early morning light.

The Sacramento Southern RR will also be firing the steam engine (Granite Rock) that will be used that day to power the tourist rides in Old Sacramento. This should be very interesting for those that want to capture the steam enveloping the engine during this process. The early morning temperatures will enable the steam to be more prominent for your photos. Please follow the directions of staff as they must make sure everyone works and observes safely.

Our photo walk just keeps getting better!