Photography club exhibition to open

The walls of the Rosemary P. Miller Gallery in the John Waldron Arts Center will come to life with pictures Friday as the Bloomington Photography Club opens its member exhibition.\nThe show, presented by the Bloomington Area Arts Council, will be on display throughout the entire month of February in the Rosemary P. Miller Gallery located in the John Waldron Arts Center. It features more than 60 photos by 32 club members ranging in skill level from amateur to professional. \n“The exhibition really is a wonderful showing of Bloomington photography,” said gallery director Anna Walker. \nThere is a variety of photos, with a selection of black and white, color and digital prints, Walker said. \nThe exhibition is self-juried, meaning the participants choose the photos they want to present. Each of the 32 club members in the show chose one or two of their best photographs to be featured, said Glen Darling, president of the Bloomington Photography Club.\n“Most photography clubs are all about competitions, but we are all here for the love of photography,” said Craig Barton, office manager for the BAAC and club member. \nFor more than 20 years, the Bloomington Photography Club has been meeting to share a common love and passion for taking pictures. The club promotes a supportive learning environment where members are encouraged to ask questions and share their knowledge with each other.\nThe club is made up of about 140 members ranging in age from 18 to 80, and meets on the first Tuesday of every month at the First Presbyterian Church, according to the club’s Web site. Anyone, including those who have never owned a camera, are encouraged to join, Darling said. \nClub members take part in many activities, such as field trips and member shows during the year, including another member exhibition in May at the School of Fine Arts, and special focus groups. \n“Within the club we have focus groups, so if you come into the club with a certain type of photography you enjoy like portraiture, landscape or architectural, we have sub-groups that focus only on that particular type of photography,” Darling said.\nThe show will be kicked off with an opening reception at The John Waldron Arts Center beginning at 5 p.m. Friday. There will be refreshments, and attendees can meet with the photographers.\n“There is a lot of talent in this club,” Darling said. “A lot of great stuff is going to be displayed.”