The Los Gatos­Saratoga Camera Club invites all members of the community interested in traditional and digital photography--amateurs and professionals alike--to attend its meetings, which take place on the first and third Monday of each month at the Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos, located at 16575 Shannon Road at the corner of Cherry Blossom Lane.

Competitions are held at the first monthly meeting. Only members can submit photos and slides for the competition, but guests are welcome to watch. Categories include color, nature, travel, photojournalism and various assigned topics.

Programs featuring guest speakers take place at the second meeting of the month. The guests on Jan. 20 are husband-and-wife photographic team Howard and Lynn Jameson of Saratoga, who specialize in color photographs of birds and landscapes and other scenic images from nature.

Membership is open to anyone. Dues are $35 per year. For more information about the Los Gatos­Saratoga Camera Club, call 408.279.4889 or visit lgscc.home.att.net.


Workshop on climbing at REI

As part of the outdoor-related programs it offers to the community, REI Saratoga has invited Heather Sullivan to give a slide presentation titled "Alaska Wilderness Classics" on Jan. 31 at 7 p.m.

Sullivan is a former volunteer climbing ranger for the National Park Service and is the co-director of the nonprofit Wild Women Workshops, an organization based in Yosemite National Park that takes women on empowerment tours that combine yoga, creative writing and wilderness.

At REI, she will discuss climbing Mt. Denali (the Native American name for Mt. McKinley) via the West Buttress Route and backpacking in Wrangell/St. Elias National Park and Preserve. She'll also offer tips on how to organize and execute an Alaskan wilderness expedition, whether it's a month-long mountain climb or a one-week backpacking trip.

The event is free and open to people of all ages. REI Saratoga is in the El Paseo de Saratoga shopping center. For more information, call 408.871.8765. Information about Sullivan's organization is available at www.wildwomenworkshops.org.