Calendar
The meeting will start promptly at 7 pm, but we’ll open the building at 6 pm for setup and social hour.
Join us for our Monthly Critique Night!
Our judge for May will be Monica Royal.
Members bring prints for critique on the third Wednesday of each month. Prints accepted by the Judge will hang for up to 2 months in the Photographic Arts Building gallery.
Visitors are welcome, however, submitting images for critique is available for members only. If you’d like more information about joining Darkroomers, please check out our membership page and email us if you have any questions.
About Monica
Monica is a macro photographer known for turning ordinary subjects into images that stop people in their tracks. Her work often sparks the same reaction: “That’s beautiful… but what is it?” That sense of curiosity is at the core of what she does.
Her path into macro photography started with simple experimentation and a natural fascination with small details. Over time, that curiosity grew into a focused practice. With more than a decade of experience, she has developed a strong understanding of light, texture, and how her lens interprets the world up close.
For Monica, macro photography is both craft and play. It’s a way to slow down, explore, and reconnect with a sense of wonder. Whether she’s photographing frost, a drop of oil in water, or a torn piece of plastic, her goal is the same—to show that beauty exists in places most people overlook.
Her work invites viewers to look closer and rethink what they see.
Join your fellow Darkroomers as we explore San Diego’s most colorful neighborhood, Barrio Logan. We’ll meet up for coffee, explore for a couple of hours, then regroup at a café or brewery. This neighborhood is great for street photography, murals, and architecture, so come ready to walk. Bring as much gear as you’re willing to carry, but we recommend traveling light – one camera, one lens.
Meet up 9:30: Ryan Brothers Coffee 1894 Main St, San Diego, CA 92113. This is on the corner of Cesar Chavez Parkway. They have bagels and pastries etc. There should be parking along street to North or around the Park under the bridge. There are several also small lots around the Park or along Dewey St. or National or Logan Aves.
After coffee, walk to Chicano Park (under the Coronado Bridge). Lots of murals and folks to photograph. After the park, we can continue down Logan Ave to the South of park. Lots of eating places and shops of all types. The Art Hub at 2151 Logan Ave, San Diego, CA 92113 has a collection of small arts, crafts and maybe a couple of photographs.
There are lots of options for coffee, lunch and a beer. We like El Charrito Mexican 2154 Logan Ave, San Diego, CA 92113. Mason Ale Works, formerly Border X Brewing is across the street opens at noon. After the last photo trip we ended at Birrieria, located at 1794 Newton Ave.
Decision time— For more images we can head East to Logan Heights. A good coffee spot is Mixed Grounds, a newer place with an art gallery at 2920 Imperial Ave, San Diego, CA 92102. It is all street parking so you may have to walk. Alternatively, If we want to hit a Mexican Bakery, Lucy’s Bakery is the place. It is at 31 north 31st St, San Diego, CA 92102. There is also a colorful fruit market just north of Lucy’s at the corner of 31st and Imperial.
More Street Art. Drive along Commercial Avenue (trolley line). Parking on the street should not be a problem. Maybe the Soap Factory on the corner of 30th Commercial will be open. This is a growing art and entertainment venue. They actually do make soap products here (earlygirlcreations.com). There is a beautiful mural by Mode Uno on the 30th street side of the Soap Factory Building. Lots of street art everywhere along Commercial and the alley fences. When it’s time to finish there are lots of possibilities for coffee or a beer.
Mike’s Mobile 619-929-8955 Mary’s mobile 619-347-6996
What happens when photographers stop asking what photography should be and begin asking what it could be?
In Freedom to Create, fine art photographer Larry Vogel shares his evolution from traditional black-and-white landscape photography to digital art, photo compositing, and AI-assisted image creation. Along the way, he explores how changing tools can expand—not replace—the artist’s imagination.
The presentation includes behind-the-scenes demonstrations of Photoshop compositing, AI prompting, layer construction, and the creative process behind building visually and emotionally complex images.
This is not simply a presentation about technology. It is about curiosity, artistic freedom, and discovering new ways to bring imagination to life.
Head to the fair on opening day and stay for the International Exhibition of Photography artist’s reception! Many Darkroomers members will have their images displayed on the walls, so please come out and support the photography community.