Last night The Association had the pleasure of meeting Dawn Hope of the Clickers & Flickers Photo Network. Celine had found the group online, and we inevitably got invited to their next networking event. So sallied forth wondering if we were walking into yet another dry and boring dinner with overdone chicken breasts.

What we found was a passionate group of still photographers and other creatives (even a nun!) who shared a desire to tell stories with light. And as Fletch poignantly pointed out during the introductions, filmmaking is simply a succession of still photographs.

Never heard of Clickers & Flickers? Here’s a blurb from their website about who and what they are:

 Clickers and Flickers is a dynamic, ever expanding network of photographers, digital artists, darkroom artists, filmmakers, curators, photographic vendors and photo enthusiasts of all kinds. Our members range in expertise from complete beginners to working professionals to nationally known artists. This mix is one of our strengths. The combination of an amateur’s passion and a professional’s expertise stoke the creative fires of all our members.

Our premiere event is our monthly dinner lecture. We attract world class photographers and photo professionals, such as publishers, curators, collectors, photo magazine editors and writers to speak on their area of expertise. Check out our list of past speakers. Your favorite photographer is most probably there.

It’s true. They’ve had an amazing array of speakers at their dinner lectures. Architectural photographers Julius Shulman and Marvin Rand. Rock and roll photographers Henry Diltz and Jim Marshall. Into Travel? How about  chatting it up with National Geographic photographer Gerd Ludwig and stock photographer Jim Zuckerman?

Then there’s landscape photographer Marc Meunch or wildlife photographer B. “Moose” Peterson.  Andrew Bernstein and Howard Bingham headed up the sports arena. And of course, the  photojournalism end has been held up by Boris Yaro and Steve Schapiro.

The list goes on. Fashion: Melvin Sokolsky. Nudes: Howard Schatz. Museum photography curator: Tim Wride. Stock photography: John Lund.

Dawn’s got it going on in the networking department. She probably knows the Pope. Or someone who’s photographed him. She’s has the energy of a puppy, maybe even more enthusiasm. In short, she’s a joy. And she’s in love with photography.

The event was held at the Castaway restaurant right here in Burbank. Asides from the lovely view, we were treated to a nice dinner with our choice of salmon, chicken or London broil. I had the salmon, which was quite tasty. The speaker of the night was William Carter, who presented us with a selection of photographs spanning 5 decades. The evening was split more or less evenly between the initial networking at the beginning, and William’s gentle and humorous monolog paired with his slideshow.

Along with a few other artists, we had access to a table to promote the Canon Boot Camp, which attracted a fair amount of attention. We met a number of fine photographers and other enthusiasts. Suffice to say, we may find ourselves giving a future boot camp in Africa while on safari. So keep your eye’s peeled for a future Filmmaker’s Notebook newsletter so you don’t miss out on the trip!

Anyway, filmmakers are welcome to attend the events! The next dinner lecture is May 30th (Wednesday) with Mark Boster, called the  “Four Seasons of Yosemite.” Those interested in attending should contact Dawn or visit the Clickers & Flickers website for more information.