Judge: BRUCE FINOCCHIO Judge Bio: I look for the sacredness of life and the beauty that resides within. Through my empathic connection and awareness, my photography seeks to capture the wonder and mystery of life. Each moment is unique and special. Embodying more than just the physical, it’s a window into the spirit world. Out of this vision brings forth a love for all living creatures. Leaving one with a sense of harmony and oneness and feelings of inner calm and peace. Knowing within my heart that this captured beauty can stir the soul, instilling a belief that the web of life can be preserved, and wild animals and wild places can be protected for posterity. It all began because my Dad was a deer hunter, and as his son, I was expected to follow in his footsteps. I killed many birds, ground squirrels, and rabbits as a young boy. Then, in my teens, I took up deer hunting with my first big rifle. That was short-lived. After watching the light of life go out of a black-tailed buck’s eyes, I choose to preserve the lives of animals. This was a seminal moment in becoming the nature photographer I am today. My father’s Ramrod Ranch, now mine, in the upper reaches of the Arroyo Seco Valley, Greenfield, California, has become my beloved and sacred place, where I learned to love wildlife, especially birds. I became fascinated with their beautiful sounds, varied and gorgeous coloring, and interesting bird behaviors. Photographing birds in such close proximity and other animals, I have learned to love wildlife and the natural world and have cultivated a passionate desire to create nature images alive with beauty. Honing my photographic talents, and developing my artistic style, allows me to capture the majesty and sacredness of life. Philosophy: I feel judging should be a learning experience—to share ideas, explore feelings and techniques and have fun! Above all, to improve our creativity and photographic artistry. Email: bruce@dreamcatcherimages.net Website

Join Julieanne Kost, Digital Evangelist at Adobe to discover how to make your photographs more powerful than ever before by mastering the tools needed to enhance, refine, and add creative effects to your images. Julieanne will quickly move through the tools in Lightroom’s Develop module including global and local masking adjustments, then demonstrate how to use them in combination with one another to catch the viewer’s attention and draw them into, and engage with, the photo. Then, Julieanne will move to Photoshop where she will point out little known features and uncover hidden gems to help you become more efficient and reach your creative vision faster than ever before. With over twenty-five years of experience using Adobe’s Photography applications, this evening is certain to increase, strengthen, and reinforce your photography skills!