Our very own Rebecca Dever has shared a very nice album of shots.  Check out Rebecca's Recent Faces for some great family and maternity photos on our social page.  Nice work!

Begin: Thursday, September 09, 2010 at 06:00AM - The weekly Thursday morning Herd Men's Ministry Bible Study will feature ex-mobster extraordinaire Michael Franzese sharing his miraculous story of coming to Jesus. Bring your camera and men friends. Black PICS shirt and lanyard/badge required.

Begin: Saturday, September 04, 2010 at 08:00AM - The monthly Classic Cars and Motorcycles Ministry gathering takes place Saturday, September 4th and offers MANY photo ops for capturing old classics and "old classics" talking about the oldies! Bring your family and bring your camera for a great morning of family memories.

Several of you wrote to me regarding yesterday's book review from Digital Photography School reviewing a book about nude photography.  Because I value the propriety of our readers, and the reputation of our church and its reflection on our faith, this article has been unpublished from our site as promptly as possible.

Every time I have proposed creating our own online educational content, I am told "there's so much good stuff online."  Indeed, there are GREAT resources online, but most of our members do not know where to find it.  I was originally very excited to find software that would automatically bring content to our website.  If we can find trustworthy, accessible, and informative content, then we can have a daily supply of fresh and useful content delivered to our mailboxes, no effort required.

As lovers of photography – we can all admit to dreaming of chucking in the day job and setting up shop as a professional photographer, but for many of us it can remain just that – a dream. But for those with the talent, support system and drive, becoming a freelance photographer can be realised! So what’s stopping you? To help you negotiate your way from using photography as a hobby to making a living from your work we have outlined a few helpful hints below. Obviously not everyone has the luxury of jacking in the job right away but with a little patience and preparation anything is possible!

You know I write everything from experience. No point in figuring things out and not passing on the info! So here is a list of simple things to remember (or in my case, forget) when packing up your bags for a photo shoot or wedding:

Weekly Assignment

This week we got up close with some creepy crawlies in our Bugs or Insects assignment. I have to admit, sometimes it wasn’t too nice looking through the assignment, but there were some amazing details captured. And who realized that bugs were so colorful? Our winners this week were separated by only 1 point, so let me start out by saying well done. The winner though was pedro96’s Fly. This one had some great colours, and the details in the eyes really just drew us in. Technically very well done as well. Our first runner up was kansasA’s Hornet’s Nest. Oh, kansasA was brave to take this shot! The detail was great, and the blurred hornet flying in really adds to the shot. And last, but not least was yet another fly shot, this one by i speak in math. Once again, those colours just catch your eye. This time the fly’s body is a little bit different in colour though. Just goes to show how much bugs can vary!

This week we started an assignment that should please all the bookworms out here, because our assignment is Books. Whether it’s the lazy days of summer that make you want to pick up a book or just a desire to spend some time in another world, we want you to put the written word into your photos this week. As usual, a quick reminder of the rules. First, your photo must have been taken between 18 August – 1 September 2010. Second, your post must include the date the photo was taken and the words “Assignment: Books”. Finally, your EXIF should be intact, and it’s helpful if you can include some of the main details like camera, lens, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc. Next week will be fun for all the car lovers out there as we focus on Cars. We’ve all seen some gorgeous shots in car magazines, and that’s what we want you to aim for. Good luck everyone!

There is an email circulating with the subject "Ack! I need a password".  They are currently targeting the PICS Father Daughter dance, for reasons unknown.

If you receive similar email, DO NOT REPLY.  This is a phishing email designed to steal passwords, or worse, your identity.  NEVER, EVER, EVER respond or click on an email asking for your password or login, even if it appears to be from PICS, and especially not if it appears to be from your bank.

This week your photographic challenge is to photograph your ‘favorite subject’ and share the image with us.

Begin: Saturday, September 04, 2010 at 09:00AM - Once again here is another really fun family affair field trip to enjoy. The event is very authentic and filled with action and amazing historical booths and great food!