The Photography Committee promotes excellence in and an appreciation for good photography through study of photographic techniques taught by guest speakers, by offering club photography workshops and by contributing informative articles for our monthly garden club newsletters.

Professional photographers have mentored our members on the techniques for thoughtful composition and framing with a keen eye, creative inspiration, and purposeful documentation as well teaching us how to use our iPhone cameras to the optimum.

Guest speakers have included Jeff Kida, Photo Editor for Arizona Highways; Colleen Miniuk outdoor photographer, writer, publisher and instructor; Marion Brenner professional landscape photographer from Berkeley, California; also , California photographer John Rodrigues, and author of An Affair with Flowers; Sarah Starrett, GCA Photography Judge and instructor; and local professional photographers Mike Balzano of foto forum, Peter Brandeis, and Jeff Beardsley.

Photography field trips to Desert Botanical Garden, the Butterfly Museum and our own members’ gardens with instructors have been invaluable for hands-on photographic instructions. Besides participating in the planning of the Photography entries for two recent GCA Flower shows, the Photography Committee has also organized other competitive photography exhibits including a display of member photos of national parks, an exhibition of members’ photographic works of art before and after photoshopping manipulation, and a competitive 2017 GCA photography show independent of the club flower show. In 2024 Columbine hosted another GCA Club Phtography Show in conjunction with its End-of-the-Year Luncheon.