Beach Camera

A popular photography genre has been the series "A Day in the Life of ..." Last year one of Florida's PSA members, the Delray Camera Club, spent a day photographing a wildlife refuge in a part of the Everglades, naming it "A Day in the Life of Loxahatchee." Pleased with the club's efforts one of the board members, Max Sinowitz, a veteran photographer and retired advertising art director, urged the club to widen their horizons this year to shoot "A Day in the Life of Delray Beach."

Twenty-six of the club's members signed up and were given one roll of print film and a weekend time slot in which to shoot the town. Max urged the participants to photograph the city in such a way as to influence the residents to see their home in a different light, perhaps discovering the places they routinely pass by as out of the ordinary.

Some of the club's members headed for the beach to photograph sailboats and beach games, the bridges and the traffic on the Intracoastal Waterway. Others photographed buildings, the Fire Department, churches and stained glass windows, synagogues, the railway station, the tennis courts, the parks, people at work and children at play.

The undeveloped rolls were turned in to the club president, Florence Greenberg, a PSA member, who took the 26 rolls for printing. Three club members viewed the 624 prints, paring them down to 115 that were then judged by Chris Rich of the Delray Camera Shop and Jennie Joy of "Pass the Word Communications." The judges chose a first, second and third place and three honorable mentions out of 50 finalists.

So pleased with the response of the club and the enthusiasm of the local people he told of the event, Max contacted the City Hall and they were pleased to allow the club to hang the fifty prints, and to build excitement for the event, the winners' names and pictures were kept secret until the opening night. The club printed invitations to mail and give to friends announcing an opening reception at the Delray Beach City Hall which was to be attended by members of the City Council and the Mayor. The city printed brochures listing all the prints, the participants, and information on the club's meeting place and dates. In addition to hanging the pictures, a members committee provided a refreshment table of cookies, cakes and punch for over one hundred and fifty people who came to the exhibit on opening night.

The first place award was given to Barbara E. Miller, APSA, for her photo of the "Ramblin' Rose" an Intracoastal cruise boat. Second place went to William Lack, a PSA member, for his picture of the "Colony Hotel" an historic piece of architecture in the life of the city. Dorothy Gleich, also a PSA member, won third place with her picture titled "Delray Municipal Beach." Honorable mentions were awarded to Robert Boylson, Sally Rackow Gottlieb and David Radding. The display hung in the City Hall for three weeks and was then displayed at the Photographic Workshop of the Palm Beaches.

It was agreed it was the most successful effort yet. In the club's opinion it was an excellent way for photographers and the townspeople to appreciate their own community and to introduce the Delray Camera Club to potential new members attracted to the exhibit. Perhaps your club would like to copy our project--it's a good way to attract attention on a personal level to a photography club's role in the life of your home town.

COPYRIGHT 1997 Photographic Society of America, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group