Film Foggers is a ‘time of camaraderie’ for members

By Sarah Allen

This photograph titled “Sailboat Races” won club member Karen Griffith Best of Class and Best of Show in 2015.

Photography.

With a simple click, a moment can be preserved or a new perspective discovered. But mastering that click — from the lighting, to the angle, to the focus — is a never-ending learning experience.

And, in Highland County, that idea is celebrated by the club Film Foggers.

Formed in 1988, the club’s goal is to provide its members the opportunity to improve their photography skills while also having fun.

“It’s always a learning experience,” said club president Carleen Alexander.

Film Foggers’ photography has been on display at Southern State Community College, and, this fall, it will be on display at the Highland County District Library

The club currently has 12 members. And, while it is based in Highland County, it is open to all persons throughout the state. “We would love to have new members,” Carleen Alexander added.

In the late 1990s, Film Foggers began running the photography division at the Highland County Fair, which includes hanging the photos and maintaining the exhibits throughout the fair week.

In addition to meetings, the club also goes on field trips. Carleen Alexander described previous outings, which included the Spring Grove Cemetery, the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, the Franklin Conservatory and the Krohn Conservatory.

“The field trips are always interesting,” she said.

Carleen Alexander said that she enjoys capturing landscapes. “Being out in nature,” she said, is one of her favorite things about photography.

She added, “I love photography because it gives me a new way of looking at things, seeking out those unique little details that often go unnoticed when I don’t have my camera with me.”

Other club members also described what photography means to them.

Carleen’s husband and fellow Film Foggers member Bill Alexander said, “I lack visual imagery, and photos help me in remembering the experience.”

Karen Griffith has been a member of Film Foggers for three years. In 2015, her photograph titled “Sailboat Race” won Best of Class and Best of Show. The following year, a photograph of her husband titled “Old Salt Sailor” won Best of Class.

She said, “My passion for photography is being able to enjoy creative expression while helping others see things from my perspective.”

Similarly, fellow member Linda Fugate said, “Photography calls one to pay attention to details and share them with others.”

Member Charles Clark said, “Photography is my connection to humanity while creating a legacy.”

Carleen Alexander said that each member of the club brings “different expertise.”

“We’re there to learn something new and to contribute ideas to help Highland County be picture perfect,” Carleen Alexander said.

She added that club meetings are a “time of camaraderie.”

Carleen Alexander described one of her favorite memories with Film Foggers. At the time, a member had a dark room, so the club learned how to develop their own black and white film.

She said that was a skill she did not think she would ever have the opportunity to learn. “I still have the roll of film,” she added.

Carleen Alexander said that, for people just learning photography, it is important “not to be afraid of the camera and to try to get shots from a different angle.”

“Try to be a little adventuresome,” she said. “Lie down on the ground if you need to. … Go for something that catches your eye.”

Ultimately, she added, photographers keep “looking for that special shot to take home with you as a memory.”

Salt Magazine

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