Tim Sayer, of Sayer Photography in Southern Pines, will be the guest speaker at the next meeting of the Sandhills Photography Club on Monday, July 14, at 7 p.m. at Christ Methodist Church on the corner of Midland and Pee Dee Roads in Southern Pines. Sayer, locally well known for his wedding photography, will discuss and demonstrate "portrait lighting."

Steve Bouser, editor of The Pilot, was the judge for last month's difficult competition on photojournalism, and he did an excellent job of critiquing a large number of photographs in both the Class A and Class B categories. His comments about creating good photographs worthy of publication can be seen on his blog at http://blogs. thepilot.com:8080/blojsom/blog/bouser.

Competition winners in Class A were: 1. "Exhausted Firefighter" by Jim McGill, Pinehurst; 2. "All Buckled Up, Southern Pines Police Offer Free Car Seat Check" by June White, Southern Pines; and 3. "Dog Agility Trials" by Chris Christiansen, Seven Lakes. Because of the large number of competitors in this category, there were three honorable mentions: "Five-year-old Lily Performs Onstage for the First Time at the Annual Dance School Recital" by Jill Margeson, Seven Lakes; "Haircut and Attitude Helped Put this Poodle into the Winners' Circle at the American Kennel Club Dog Show in Pinehurst," also by Jill Margeson; and "Volunteers In Action" by Len Barnard, Seven Lakes.

In Class B, Donna Ford of Carthage had the distinction of being the only member, according to the collective memories of some longtime members, to achieve a trifecta, winning all three places in a single class: 1. "Slinging Mud," 2. "Festival Fun," and 3. "Game On." Competition Chair Brady Smith announced that with these three wins plus previous competition points, Ford now moves to Class A.

Honorable mentions in Class B were: "Local Landmark Destroyed in 3 AM Fire" by Ann Stokes, Pinehurst, and "Ravages of Improperly Discarded Fishing Line on Water Fowl (Double-Crested Cormorant)" by David Verchick, Pinehurst. All winning photographs in both classes can be seen on the club Web site at www.sandhillsphotoclub.org.

The next competition is digital and is scheduled for the Aug. 11 meeting. The primary subject should be flowers and/or insects, and attention will be given to focus, lighting, background and composition.

Currently, the Campbell House in Southern Pines is holding a photography exhibit titled "Capturing the World," which is open to the public from July 3 to July 24, and features framed photographs by members of the Sandhills Photography Club. According to Exhibition Chair Betty Hendrix, this is a must-see event, and all photographs are available for purchase.

Beginning on Aug. 7, club member Linda Piechota will teach a series of four classes on "Creative Photography -- the Stoffel Method" with a focus on how to make, not just take, photographs.

Program Chair Don Hiscott has announced that nature photographer Scott Hotaling of Raleigh will be the guest speaker in September. His work can be seen at www.Lightof TheWild.com.

The 2008 Fall Field Trip to the Boone-Blowing Rock area of North Carolina is being planned for October and will feature an orientation to the area and an optional guided photo shoot to Grandfather Mountain by professional photographer Vinny Colucci (www.vinny colucci.com).

Visitors are welcome to attend SPC meetings, which are always held on the second Monday of the month and are informative and fun.

Additional information about the club can be found on the club Web site, www.sandhills photoclub.org.