Lighting and Posing 101
2024-06-17 17:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Moscatiellos, 99 North Greenbush Rd., Troy, NY, 12180, United States
Please join us on Monday, June 17th, at 5:30 p.m. for an evening of food, fun, and learning. Capital Region members Ruth Wedge and Jim McLaughlin will provide an informative program on the basics of lighting and posing.

About Ruth Wedge

Ruth has owned and operated a photography studio for twenty years in the Averill Park and West Sand Lake area. While having photographed many things, her studio focuses primarily on children and families.

About Jim McLaughlin

Jim has owned and operated a photography studio for forty years in the Queensbury and Lake George area. Jim has earned a living shooting weddings, schools, families, art, and whatever pays the bills.

Lighting and Posing 101 Program

Ruth agreed to bring her newfound treasures, while Jim offered to bring his lighting equipment and work his magic using Nan Lights. If you’d like to learn some basic Portrait Lighting and posing, you won’t want to miss our next meeting. This is a hands-on learning experience that is not to be missed.

BRING YOUR CAMERA AND PLAN ON HAVING SOME FUN!

June Creative Photography Exercise

The theme for June’s Creative Exercise is “Lines.”

Send up to 2 images to Jim McLaughlin by Saturday, June 15th at Jim@mclaughlinphoto.com.

Sized 4000px on the longest side, sRGB Color, the file name is the image title.

We hope to inspire you to get creative and share your work. The feedback we receive makes us better photographers.

Program Itinerary

Mix and Mingle 5:30

Business Meeting 6:00

Dinner 6:30

Image review 7:00

Program 7:30

RSVP Below and Pay at the door

Member Price $25.00; Non-Member Price $45.00 (includes dinner.)

Rhinebeck Aerodrome Photography
2024-07-13 10:00 - 16:00
We were rained out of the outing to the Rhinebeck Aerodrome last year, so we will try to get there this year. We’re planning on going to the Saturday, July 13th airshow, but if there is rain, we will move it to Sunday, July 14th.

The Rhinebeck Aerodrome Living Museum features pre-WWI airplanes up through the golden age of barnstorming airplanes of the 20-30’s. The Saturday “History of Flight” program highlights the Pioneer era before WWI, a WWI Show teaser, and the Golden Age of Aviation in the ’20s and ’30s.

Rob will share tips, including the best shutter speeds for shooting airplanes and panning to convey a sense of motion.

The Museum opens at 10 am, and the airshow starts at 2 pm. It is located at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, 9 Norton Road, Red Hook, NY.

Tickets are available at the gate on the day of the show;

Adult (Age 18-64)-$35

Senior (Age 65+)-$26

Active/Retired Military with ID–$26

This should be a fun day and we are looking forward to seeing many of you there.

Motocross Photography
2024-08-04 10:00 - 17:00
Who is ready to practice motorsports photography? We are planning another outing to

Claverack MX for capturing some high-flying motocross action.

Claverack MX is a family-friendly motocross track located at 131 Tischauser Road, Claverack, NY. Racing starts at 10 a.m. Rob Near, who has photographed at this track many times, will be our guide, helping you with the best exposure settings. There are a great many good locations to shoot from, resulting in images like the ones you see on this posting. Racers range from peewees all the way up through senior racers.

During this outing, we will focus on perfecting panning skills and capturing the exhilarating moments of motorcycles in mid-air. For those working on earning merits through MIR, this is the perfect opportunity to capture reportage-type images.

Direction from Albany Area:

FROM ALBANY: Take the NYS I-87 SOUTH to Exit 21A, take I-912M East to exit B1, get on I-90 West to exit 12 US-9 South. At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit to 9H-S. Make a left onto NY-66 North, then right onto Gahbauer Rd, then right onto Tishauser Rd. The track is on the left.

Running a Successful (and Profitable) Studio
2024-09-16 17:30 - 21:00 | Moscatiellos, 99 North Greenbush Rd., Troy, NY, 12180, United States
On September 16, 2024, Capital Champlain will host David Hakamaki, who will present his “Running a Successful (and Profitable) Studio” program. If you’re a professional photographer or thinking of becoming one, this is a not-to-be-missed program.

Running a Successful (and Profitable) Studio

The statistics do not lie. Home-based studios are on the rise, outnumbering traditional “brick and mortar” setups. With high-quality camera equipment now more accessible than ever, photographers are increasingly opting to operate from home. However, this shift brings unique challenges: how do you make a home studio look professional and attract clients?

Running a successful home studio demands more than just photography skills—it requires business acumen, too. This dynamic program will help you evaluate your studio’s strengths and weaknesses, teaching you how to leverage what works and improve what doesn’t. With smart, practical business strategies, you’ll learn to compete head-to-head with established studios and capture the attention of potential clients. No secret formulas, no sales pitches, and no bull.

A special segment focuses on maximizing your revenue with effective add-on sales and incentive programs. These techniques will help you turn an initial sale into a long-term client relationship, encouraging repeat business and increasing overall sales.

Join internationally recognized business expert David Hakamaki as he reveals how to balance running a full-time studio with family life in a way that’s both practical and humorous. You’ll gain insider tips on making your home studio look polished and professional, creatively utilizing your space, and mastering the art of the sales session in any environment, boosting your business’s bottom line.

About David Hakamaki

David Hakamaki, Cr.Photog., is a globally renowned speaker, educator and visionary photographer who ignites audiences with his electrifying presentations. Emerging from the cut-throat business world, David has also taught college business, marketing & economics. Since 2002, he has operated a thriving 6-figure full-time home studio in a small Michigan town.

Beloved by audiences around the world, David’s dynamic presentations go beyond photography and lighting, delving into the art of sales, marketing, and client interaction with a fun, quirky approach. As the go-to authority on home photography studios, High School seniors, HS & youth sports, location-based lighting, and all things business, David’s programs are a must-see experience.

David collaborates with leading companies in the photography industry. He holds prestigious roles as part of the Miller’s Professional Imaging Speaker Team, a Fundy Storyteller, as well as an Ambassador for Flashpoint Lighting, Savage Universal, and Cheetah Stand. He is a regular speaker at Conferences/Workshops throughout the US, Canada, and the United Kingdom, where he continues to inspire and educate photographers with his vibrant and impactful insights.

Learn more about David Hakamaki at Cutting Edge Photography.

Photographing the Action on the Grid Iron
2024-10-11 19:00 - 21:00 | Averill Park High School, 146 Gettle Road, Averill Park, New York, 12018, United States
It’s FOOTBALL season!!! Thanks to member, Melissa Napoli…

The Athletics Director at Averill Park High School has approved for Capital Champlain members to come to football games at the high school to photograph the game. He asks that no more than 5 photographers attend at a time. He also asks that we stay on the sidelines between the 20 yard line and the goal line.

If you’d like to get up close and personal at a football game, pack your long lens, your wide lens and a tripod and lets go play under the stadium lights. It is a great way to learn!

As a Thank You, we typically share images taken by our members with the team. If anyone would like their images shared with the team, they can email Melissa watermarked jpg’s. She will compile all the images and create an online gallery for them.

RSVP BELOW!

Equine Advocates Field Trip
2024-10-12 11:00 - 16:00
Saturday October 12th we are planning a photographic outing to Equine Advocates in Chatham NY for their open house to wander around and capture the bountiful residence of this equine rescue center. The hours for this open house is 11:00am to 4:00pm so we will meet between 11:00-11:30. Everyone is required to sign a waiver form upon arriving and there is no cost but they would like us to consider a free will donation.

This is one of the most beautiful equine rescue centers in our area, with 80 plus horses, mules, donkeys and ponies. We recommend 24-70 and 70-200 focal lengths, you will find them very curious and coming right up to you. We hope to find the trees beginning to change color creating a nice background for our pictures.

We recommend dressing in layers and foot wear that you do not mind getting dirty, it can get a little muddy and you will find horse poop in the pastures.

Below is the address and links to their website along with link to google maps location.

Equine Advocates Rescue & Sanctuary 3212 State Route 66Chatham, NY

Website https://www.equineadvocates.org/public-open-days-2024/

Google Maphttps://www.google.com/maps/place/Equine+Advocates+Inc/ @42.3880272,-73.6113527,1658m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5! 1s0x89ddf3d009b58939:0x7514bf0c5b6278b1!8m2!3d42.3896865!4d-73.6043472! 16s%2Fg%2F1tdqjgvp? authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDkxNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

In the event of rain and we cancel there is another open house on Sunday November 3rd. As we get closer to October 12 we will confirm the date.

Catching the Action of Football!
2024-10-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Averill Park High School, 146 Gettle Road, Averill Park, New York, 12018, United States

Chasing Waterfalls
2024-10-19 09:00 - 17:00
Waterfalls and Fall Foliage

On Saturday, October 19th we are planning an outing to Diamond Notch waterfalls and Fall Foliage in the Catskills. (rain date will be Sunday October 20th) An added bonus on our way home, we can stop and photograph Saint John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church. A very unique cedar shake church perched up on a hill.

From the trail head parking lot it is approximately a 1/2 mile trail into the falls and trail is a very gentle incline going in. The trail follows the stream from the falls so as we will be stopping along the way to photograph some of the small cascades. We recommend dressing in layers and hiking boots or water proof boots.

We recommend 24-70mm lens. If you want to capture some closer details perhaps a 70-200mm. Strongly recommend a tripod along with polarizing and neutral density filters if you are looking to do some long exposure images. For those that do not have neutral density filters, Rob has extras that he will bring and let you to borrow.

Diamond Notch falls is located at the end of Spruceton Road in West Kill NY, below is Google map link to trail head location.

https://www.google.com/maps/place//@42.1793195,-74.2711349,16.09z? authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDkxNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

We can meet at the Catskill Thruway (exit 21) in the park and ride parking lot at 10am. Rob can take up to three people in his car. Additional carpools will be created as needed. From this location we can continue up to the trail head parking (49 miles from exit 21).

If time allows, there is the possibility of stopping by Kaaterskill Falls on way home. We can shoot this from the observation deck that looks down onto the falls. The observation deck is very short walk from the parking lot.

Hope to see many of you for a great day in the Catskills.

October Member Meeting
2024-10-21 17:30 - 21:00
Bri Stiefeo is our speaker for October. Her business is primarily Boudoir in Black and White.

More Details to come.

Illumination Session
2025-05-19 17:30 - 21:00 | Moscatiellos, 99 North Greenbush Rd., Troy, NY, 12180, United States
Light up Your Marketing Strategy!

Creative Photography at ART OMI
2025-06-16 15:00 - 20:00
This photography workshop will be led by Ken Bovat. Ken will be our guide as we meander through the grounds of this incredible location. We will have access to 120 acres of Art Displays from around the world. In addition he is bringing in models for us to work with! This will be a great opportunity to learn from each other.

This event has been broken into 2 parts. 3:00-5:00 Dinner break. 6:00-8:00 Feel free to join us for the time frame that works best for you. Better yet, come for the entire time. Hope to see you there! 1405 County Route 22 Ghent, NY

Member price $25.00 Non Member $40.00. Paid on location

Holiday Party
2025-12-17 17:30 - 21:00 | Moscatiello’s, 99 North Greenbush Rd., Troy, New York, 12196, United States
Please join us for an evening of fun and games with our photographer friends. We will enjoy dinner while reminiscing of this years past events. In lieu of a grab bag, we will be playing LRC again this year. Bring 3-$5.00 bills to play. Dinner price of $25.00 per person will be collected that evening. Hope to see you there!!

Editing with AI
2026-01-21 18:00 - 20:30
Introduction to editing with Chat GPT
