Georgia Nature Photographers Association (GNPA) Meetup Group

Choosing the pefect photo for a competition can be tough—and figuring out how to print, mat, and frame it can feel even harder! Join us as Janet takes you through the entire process of preparing your photo for a GNPA exhibit. From selecting your image to submitting it for competition and exhibition, she’ll share practical tips to help your work shine on display.

Speaker: Janet Newton

Janet is an active member of 12 years of GNPA-Georgia Nature Photographers, GNPA Coordinator for the 2024 EXPO in Jekyll Island and 2025 Expo in Hardeeville, SC. NANPA-North American Nature Photography Assoc. She has been taking pictures since she was twelve when she started with a film camera and learned to develop in a darkroom. Her artistic background dates back to her high school art class and four years on the yearbook staff, where she served as designer and photographer. She spent her time as a boy’s undefeated baseball coach and, for years, as a "scout" on a wagon train with over two hundred horses and riders. She worked as a Banquet Sales Manager before spending 20 years as a Human Resources Manager. After retiring, she joined the Sweetwater Camera Club in 2012 and went on to earn Photographer of the Year honors in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2023, and 2024. She now spends her energy taking pictures at her community events, the local museum, garden club, monthly magazine, and newspaper. For two and a half years, she wrote for the Community page in the local paper about photography with pictures. Janet received the Local Newspaper "Reader's Choice Award" for Photography consecutively from 2018 to 2021, and Janet was awarded again in 2025. Janet's photography has appeared in local, regional, and international publications.
She has taken part as a Leader for the Scott Kelby World Wide Walk, in various exhibits, including Fence Galleries, Arts Clayton, and Georgia for the Arts at the Atlanta Capital, GNPA’s exhibits such as the Fernbank Science Center, Road to Callaway, Stand in Ansel Adams Footsteps, Smokey’s Weekend, Chattahoochee Nature Center, Double Vision, Coastal, Nature of the South and Alpharetta Chapter exhibit. Janet also received a Second Place in the Georgia Press Association for a Photo Essay and images on the Partial Lunar Eclipse.

Janet is an enthusiastic gardener who has cultivated acres of perennials around her home over the years. She often photographs flowers, butterflies, insects, and birds in her backyard; "Janaway Gardens".The National Wildlife Federation has certified her yard as an official wildlife habitat.
ArtPop Street Gallery selected Janet to have her image displayed on a vinyl billboard for one year. In addition, she was on eighty digital billboards in twenty-one counties including the Atlanta Regional Airport. She was proud to be a nominee for the 2021 Governor's Award for the Arts & Humanities. Janet served as the Photography Chair for the Atlanta Botanical Garden's Metamorphosis exhibit, which featured over 250 images. During our state's 2022 Arbor Day, she aided with her photography skills of the planting five American Chestnut trees as part of a restoration effort.
Presently, Janet’s image titled "Sunset at Hunter Park" is featured on a billboard along I-20W at the entrance to Douglas County, GA, in recognition of the Douglas County Parks & Recreation Center’s Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management, presented by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).

Painting with Shadow and Light
GNPA DeKalb Chapter Meeting
Monday October 20, 2025
6pm-8pm
Embry Hills Library, DeKalb Count Public Library
3733 Chamblee Tucker Road
Chamblee, 30341 United States

Join us as we watch a video excerpt from the recent 2025 Lightroom Virtual Summit featuring Colin Smith, "Painting with Shadow and Light"

In his video Colin presents his unique way of combining dodge and burn techniques to create photos that have so much depth they almost appear 3-dimensional.
Colin utilizes the Lightroom AI Masking tools in combination with these techniques making it easy for anyone to make their photos pop like never before. We will learn:
How to approach a photo and find a good candidate?
How to chisel the details in your image
How to use the advanced settings for the Lightroom brush tool
How to utilize AI masks to speed up your work.

After the video presentation we will practice this technique on member photos so please bring your photos on a flash drive.

Colin Smith is a Los Angeles based trainer, photographer and digital artist. He is founder of one of the worlds most popular websites for creators, PhotoshopCAFE.com. Which has received over 50 million visitors. As a leading trainer, Colin has written 21 books, and too many video courses to count. When he isn’t at his computer, Colin can be found pursuing his passion of travel and capturing beauty with this drone and camera.
website: https://www.photoshopcafe.com

Location Change !!!
GNPA Gwinnett Chapter Meeting
Saturday October 25, 10:00 am - Noon
Suwanee Branch-Gwinnett Public Library

Special Bonus: Berrie Smith will be cleaning camera bodies and lenses.

Special Offer - Only $40 for 1 body and 1 lens

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Subject: Black and White Photography from capture to finished post processing
Presenter: Horace Hamilton
Before color photography was possible, all photography was Black and White. In this presentation you will learn about selecting subject matter, lighting, story telling and composition when capturing images for Black and White presentation. In addition, we will cover a wide range of post processing techniques to turn your RAW captures into outstanding images.
Horace is doing a workshop and a snap session at Smokies Week-end on Black and White photography. This Gwinnett presentation will provide for those not scheduled for one of those sessions an opportunity to learn how to maximize your Black and White images.
Bring your questions and we’ll try to answer them!

Join us! All are welcome. Saturday, October 25, 10am.