Past Camera Committee Outings

John Nilsson's Redwoods Exploration

July 12 - 16, 2026

A pool of light on the ground in a tangled, dark green landscape of ferns and spooky redwood burls backed by tall trees. — Light splashes in a redwood tangle on the Karl Knapp Trail captured by Joan Schipper

John led a group of eight photographers through many trails of the Redwood National and State Parks between Crescent City and Orick. A full trip report is coming soon to Focal Points Magazine.

Joe Doherty's Malibu Creek State Park Intensive Study

Winter 2026

A two-page magazine spread features four photos capture in morning light around Malibut Creek. Upper left. Hillsides golden from morning light are reflected in the mirror of the slow creek and a photographer stoops on the edge, Lower left a waterfowl paddles away leaving a vee-shape wake. Upper right, a bright sun peeks over the mountains and lights up the fog rising from the creek and wafting through trees. Lower Right, a classic black and white image of pale rocks perfectly reflected in the still water. — Photos by Martha Rasheed, Alen Kireddi, Sarah Emmens and Carole Scurlock featured in Focal Points Magazine March-April 2026

Joe Doherty led not one or two, but three early morning outings in Malibu Creek State Park this winter and every one was like a different world. This is a sample spread from the full trip report in Focal Points Magazine, March-April 2026

John Nilsson's light show in Downtown LA

February 19, 2026

A two-page magazine spread features colorful photos of urban landscapes. On the left, a tiered pyramid-shaped fountain glows bright green against the sedate background of red slate and glass towers. On the right, a line of grey benches leads from the lower left corner up to the quaint Angels Flight Depot looking like a little terra cotta castle, with pennant topped towers. — DTLA comes brilliant in images by John Fisanotti and John Nilsson. From Focal Points Magazine March-April 2026

See the full report of this colorful night of roaming Downtown LA in Focal Points Magazine, March-April 2026

Joe Doherty's Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve II

December 28, 2024

A long-necked, long-legged white egret is stalking breakfast on the edge of the grey lake. — Bob Myers caught this egret as it stalked a breakfast bite. See more photos in Focal Points Magazine January-February 2025

Joe Doherty took a slew of photographers to the wilds in the San Fernando Valley, See the full report with photos in Focal Points Magazine January-February 2026

Allan Der's Perseid Meteor Shower with a bonus: Adobe Valley Wild Horses

August 11-13, 2024

The Milky Way rises up the center of the photo from golden rocks and a person is silhouetted against the fiery night sky. — No meteors here but John Nilsson got the shot of the night!

The very dark sky of Granite Mountain did not yield many meteor sightings, but as you can see, shooting stars were not the whole show. And then the next day Allan took the crew to nearby Adobe Valley to see the wild horses - it was amazing! You have to check out those photos in Focal Points Magazine September-October 2024

Joe Doherty's Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve I

August 3, 2024

A large pale spider with dark legs seems to be mending its web against a defused tan background. — You'd think the birds would be the stars at Sepulveda Basin... John Nilsson got this starlet.

In fact, birds were the dominant attraction. See the best photos in Focal Points Magazine September-October 2026

COVID-19 Moratorium March 2020 --

The gray trunk of a very large palm tree sweeps out over the dull dark water of Lucky Baldwin's lake. A male mallard duck (with its iridescent green head) stands on the palm trunk looking out over the lake. — A lonely duck at L.A. Arboretum photographed by Joan Schipper at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic,

The Sierra Club issued a moratorium on Outings during the COVID-19 pandemic. For a while, we were all lonely ducks. It took quite a while for the Camera Committee Outings to ramp up again.

John Nilsson's Alabama Hills Trek

The snowy Sierra Mountains including Mount Whitney are the backdrop for an Owens Valley landscape the features a rock formation resembling a large shark's fin. The foreground is composed of dusty assorted chapparal plants.

March 6 – 8, 2020

Our intrepid photographers visited Ansel Adams tripod marks in Owens Valley and the Alabama Hills. Many more photos are included in the Member Photos secton of Focal Points Magazine, April 2020.

Allan Der's Fall Color and Mono County Exploration

October 8 – 11, 2021

As the Camera Committee sponsored its first outing since the start of the pandemic, we traveled to Mono County and lodged in Lee Vining or camped locally. They reveled in freedom of being the outdoors and celebrated the fall colors. We got in an excellent visit to Bodie before winter crept up on us. Near the south shore of Mono Lake, the weather turned blustery, then cold. We moved on hoping for some cover in the foothills but the snow beat us to it! Hot chocolate at Tom's Place was the parting gift.

Alison Boyle's Tide Pools Outing in Crystal Cove

November 26, 2019

We scooted around rocks, explored caves, hovered over pools, got wet, and finally gazed quietly over the beautiful sunset. After that we had dinner and celebrated a successful outing!

Steve Anderson's Fall Colors in the Mono Basin Photo Exploration

October 18 – 21, 2019

Steve led us in and out of the Eastern Sierras and up and down Highway 395 for this trip based in Four Jefferies Campground.

Joan Schipper's Tejon Ranch Wildflower Hunt

Tejon Ranch trip

Spring 2019

The Tejon Ranch Conservancy treated 15 members of SCCC to a glorious wildflower bloom in the Spring, 2019. Even though the weather was cold and blustery, the photography was glorious and a good time was had by all. Thanks to the Tejon Ranch Conservancy for allowing us on this beautiful property!

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Allan Der led a small band of photographers on the first Camera Committee outing of the Sierra Club's Post-Covid Reopening period. The first morning he got us up and out to catch dawn over Mono Lake. It was exhilarating after being cooped up for more than eighteen months.
Allan led us all over the Eastern Sierras and into the mining country around Bodie. The colors were hit and miss. We were a little late for the peak colors but we were thrilled to be out there, until the snowfall. Elizabeth got some good captures of fall colors and snow.

Photo by Joan Schipper