A digital competition on the subject of "Humor" will be the focus of the Monday, April 14, meeting of the Sandhills Photography Club, which will be held at 7 p.m. at the Christ Fellowship Church on the corner of Midland and Pee Dee Roads in Southern Pines.

Member George Butt of Seven Lakes will judge the competition, which will include up to two entries per member with no time limit on when the photos were taken. Butt, who has judged previous competitions, will provide an informative and entertaining evening, and the meeting, as usual, is open to the public.

David Smith, photojournalist with The Fayetteville Observer and a Greensboro native, was the guest speaker at the March meeting of the SPC. Smith has covered a variety of assignments: ACC basketball, family tobacco farming, the effects of ground water pollution in West Virginia, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a tornado in Columbus County, daily life in the Cape Fear region, and the effects of the Iraq war on the military community surrounding Fayetteville.

He won North Carolina Press Association Clip Photographer of the Year in 2004 and 2006, numerous awards from the NCPPA, North Carolina Press Association, Alabama AP Managing Editors Association, and the National Press Photographers Association, and recently took first place for spot news. He opened by saying there is more to photojournalism than house fires or wrecks beside the road.

"We cover anything in life," he said, "and try to tell the story of an event with a photograph." He considers himself a "community photojournalist." Examples of his work can be seen at www.dsmithphoto.net.

In addition to still photography, he also produces video and multimedia projects for the Observer's Web site. The purpose of his talk was to prepare the membership for the June competition on "photo journalism."

Four important club events are planned for May:

n The spring field trip to the Outer Banks with nature photographer Mark Buckler will take place May 1-3.

n Tim Sayer, of Sayer Photography in Southern Pines, will present a program on "Portrait Lighting," including a live demonstration, at the May 12 meeting. Sayer was the judge for the January "open" competition, and the club has invited him to return and share his expertise on portraiture. Examples of his work can be seen at www.sayerphotography.com.

n Linda Piechota, of Whispering Pines, will teach a series of three classes on "Creative Photography -- the Stoffel Method" at the Artists League of the Sandhills on May 14, 21, and 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. To register, call the Artists League at 944-3979.

n Mike Stratil, of Whispering Pines, presents "Making Photo Montages," a step-by-step method for producing montages with a strong artistic impact. This workshop, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 17, is based on ideas from the psychology of creativity, which is an area that Stratil has studied and taught.

The SPC, which meets on the second Monday of every month, features alternating guest speakers and competitions, plus workshops, seminars, and spring and fall "outings." Visitors are welcome at meetings, and the club newsletter, prize-winning competition photographs, and detailed information about club activities can be found at the SPC Web site: www.sandhillsphotoclub.org