Wehr Nature Center Camera Club

Meets: 2nd Saturday of the month at 9 AM, Zoom and In-person.
Wehr Nature Center, 9701 W. College Ave, Franklin, WI.

Co-Chairs: Linnea Matthiesen & Ramona Lenger

About:

In 1982, George Fenske and a small group of camera buffs started a nature-oriented camera club that met at Wehr Nature Center in Franklin, WI.

The early meetings focused on teaching members the difference between F-stops and shutter speeds, eventually evolving into a growing club that brought in speakers and presented workshops.

Competitions and critique sessions became important parts of the club meetings. In the early days, the competitions included four classes of slide images, color prints, and black-and-white prints.

Today, the club holds one yearly competition, with digital and print divisions similar to WACCO. Ribbons are awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each division.

The meetings consist of presentations by club members and outside speakers. Occasionally, other clubs are invited to join us for workshops and presentations by nationally known photographers. At each meeting, a few members are requested to share some of their images for fun or critique if they wish.

The club has had workshops on portrait photography and macro/tabletop photography, among others.

Some of the past outings include trips to Green Bay to the botanical gardens and zoo, trips to the Chicago Botanical Gardens, a visit to the Crane Foundation and the H.H. Bennett Studio in Wisconsin Dells, and a rodeo shoot in Manawa. Some of the local outings include St. Joseph’s Basilica, the Mitchell Park Domes, the Milwaukee County Zoo, the Milwaukee Lakefront July 3rd Fireworks, and classic car shows.

In May 2023, the club held a photo exhibition at Inspiration Studios in West Allis. Approximately nine members participated, with nearly fifty images. Another exhibition is scheduled for June 2025. This is a great opportunity for members to share their images with the general public and perhaps make a little money.

This year, the club will sponsor a simple children's competition in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Wehr Nature Center in June.

This is also the first year the club has sponsored Nathan Hale High School in the PSA Youth Showcase competition.

Summer is a time for rodeo outings, and our club has scheduled two: Next Level Bull Riding on June 8 at State Fair Park and the Manawa Rodeo on July 5.

Another outing to the Milwaukee lakefront to shoot the July 3 fireworks is on the agenda.

Currently, there are 18 active members, which include photographers of all skill levels and all types of photography, including phone photography.

Meetings are held the second Saturday of each month at 9:00 a.m. at Wehr Nature Center, 9702 W. College Ave., Franklin, WI. Meetings are currently held in person as well as via Zoom.

Visit our website at wnccc.net for more information, or contact Linnea Matthiesen or Ramona Lenger.