Monthly Meetings
6:00 – 8:00 PM
(Networking and Photo of the Month competition: 6:00 – 6:30 PM)
2026 Speaker Lineup
Our 2026 program continues to offer a mix of professional insight, creative inspiration, and practical learning.
BPG Board; Images that Inspires
January 6th
Caleb McKenney; From Swamps to the Smokies: Composition and Planning
February 3rd
Megan Veldman; Photographing the Predators and General Sports Photography
March 3rd
Tom Ress; Bird Photography from Wheeler Wildlife Refuge
April 7th
Jerry Atnip; Behind the Scenes – Secrets, Backstories and Struggles
May 5th
Sam Simkins; The Life of a Photographer on a University Campus
June 2nd
Chris Baker; Huntsville Camera Club
July 7th
Nathan Collie; Finding Beauty in Nature
August 4th
John Kernodle; Motorsports Photography
September 1st
Jim Zuckerman; Using Photography in Conjunction with AI
October 6th
Keith Dotson; B&W Photography and Stories of Tennessee
November 3rd
No Monthly Meeting; End of Year Awards Dinner at Carrabba's
December 5th
Monthly Meeting Overview
The Brentwood Photography Group meets at Otter Creek Church in Brentwood on the first Tuesday of each month from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM. Networking and the Photo of the Month competition begin at 6:00 PM, with the main program starting at 6:30 PM.
Our monthly meetings bring photographers together to learn, connect, and be inspired. Each meeting features a guest speaker who shares insights, techniques, and real-world experience across a wide range of photographic styles.
Guests are welcome – if you’re curious about BPG, we’d love to have you join us and see what we’re about. Feel free to Contact us with any questions.
Motorsports Photography
John Kernodle
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Presentation Overview
Photographing motorsports presents a unique combination of technical and creative challenges. Fast-moving subjects, constantly changing positions, difficult shooting locations and the need to convey a sense of speed all require techniques that differ considerably from many other areas of photography.
John will share his approach to motorsports photography, including the techniques and considerations involved in capturing compelling images of cars at speed. Whether you are interested in photographing a professional race, a local motorsports event, or simply want to improve your ability to photograph fastmoving subjects, John’s presentation will provide an inside look at this exciting and demanding area of photography.
About the Presenter
John Kernodle has been an avid photographer since 1979 and, following his retirement from the practice of law in 2013, established Kernodle.Photography as a “hobby business” focused primarily on motorsports photography.
From 2016 through 2024, was the series photographer of the International GT racing series, covering contemporary Porsche and Ferrari GT race cars at some of America’s most legendary road courses. With International GT sharing race weekends with series such as SVRA and Trans Am, John has had the opportunity to photograph everything from vintage and historic race cars to modern GT and formula car competition.
John holds a Photography Certificate from the University of Tennessee and has earned the Professional Photographers of America Master of Photography degree. His competition achievements include PPA Gold and Bronze awards, multiple Imaging Excellence Collection selections, and seven consecutive years as a Tennessee Top Ten Photographer from 2018 through 2024. His motorsports photography has also appeared in Vintage Racing Quarterly, SpeedTour Quarterly, Cars & Parts, and SportsCar magazines. John had the cover image on the 3CT inFocus newsletter that recently won an Honorable Mention in the 2026 PSA Newsletter Competition and his “Cars and Cameras – Motorsports Photography on America’s Road Courses”
was selected as the Best How-To article.
Images by John Kernodle
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Finding Beauty in Nature
Nathan Collie
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Presentation Overview
Join award-winning nature photographer Nathan Collie as he shares the techniques, preparation, and mindset behind creating compelling bird and wildlife photographs.
Nathan will discuss the camera setup and settings he uses in the field, along with practical advice on studying animal behavior and the environments where wildlife is found. He will also demonstrate a straightforward post-processing workflow that enhances images while maintaining a natural look.
Beyond the technical aspects of photography, Nathan will explore how photographing wildlife can deepen our appreciation of the natural world, contribute to conservation efforts, and enrich our own lives through a stronger connection with nature.
About the Presenter
Nathan Collie is an award-winning nature photographer, filmmaker, and author whose work celebrates the beauty and behavior of birds and the natural world. A fourth-generation photographer, Nathan grew up surrounded by art and music, developing a lifelong appreciation for nature that ultimately led him behind the camera. Today, his photography focuses primarily on the birds and wildlife of Middle Tennessee, the American West, and the Gulf Coast.
In addition to creating fine art prints on traditional Japanese papers, Nathan has produced nature films for Radnor Lake State Park and Edwin Warner Parks and regularly supports conservation organizations through his photography. He is also the author of Moments with Birds: A Bird Photographer’s Journey Through the Seasons, a beautifully illustrated collection of bird photographs and the stories behind them.
Images by Nathan Collie
Infrared Photography
Chris Baker
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Chris’s photography habit started over 15 years ago with a basic Panasonic point and shoot camera. He quickly outgrew its limitations and is now fully invested in a full frame Nikon mirrorless setup. He loves to experiment with all genres of photography with a focus on nature and wildlife. Chris has been a member of the Huntsville Photographic Society since 2018 and is now serving as the President. He loves to teach and share his knowledge with anyone interested in learning. Chris supports his photography habit working as an engineer on the Artemis Program for NASA at Marshall Space Flight Center where he has enjoyed a 29-year career.
Infrared photography is a specialized genre that involves capturing images using the normally-invisible infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Traditionally used in landscapes, IR photos are characterized by their deep contrasty look because of how foliage and vegetation reflect IR light appearing very bright compared to water and sky that absorb IR light appearing very dark. Contrary to popular belief, a specially modified digital camera is not necessary to get started in IR photography. Anyone can experiment using a simple IR filter attached to the end of a lens, which is how Chris’s IR journey began in 2021. Since then, he’s learned a great deal about filters, camera bodies, lenses, and post-processing and will present his lessons learned to help those interested get their start in this fascinating genre.
In 2023, Chris’s infrared photos were recognized by Nikon and featured in an article on the Nikon Creators website: https://nikoncreators.com/2023/02/15/photographing-nature-on-a-different-wavelength/
Samples of Chris’s infrared work can be found on his website: https://cscottphoto.smugmug.com/Artwork/Infrared
Images by Chris Baker
The Life of a Photographer on a University Campus
Sam Simpkins
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Nashville native and Belmont University photographer Sam Simpkins will be our featured presenter for the June 2 Monthly Meeting. Sam’s journey in photography began at Hillsboro High School before leading him to Montreat College, adventures photographing and traveling through Alaska and Colorado, and ultimately to Western Kentucky University, where he earned a degree in photojournalism. He spent 12 years as a photographer with The Tennessean covering news and features before joining Belmont University in 2016.
In this presentation, Sam will give us a behind-the-scenes look at life as a university photographer – from the energy and warmth of the Belmont community to the unforgettable moments that unfold across campus each day. He’ll share stories and images ranging from backstage celebrations after major athletic wins to quiet, meaningful moments between students, faculty, and campus life. Along the way, we’ll also get to experience the beauty of Belmont itself – both the people who bring the campus to life and the character of the university grounds through the eyes of a working photographer.
Images by Sam Simpkins
Behind the Scenes - Secrets, Backstories and Struggles
Jerry Atnip
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Jerry Atnip will be our featured speaker at our May meeting. Jerry will take us behind the scenes to learn the secrets, the backstories and the struggles behind some of his most popular images. He will reveal the shoots that didn’t work as pre-visualized and the circumstances that led to successful accidents. You will learn the motivations behind his poetic images created to share stories with the viewer.
Jerry has a 49-year career as a fine art and commercial photographer. He began as Partner and Creative Director of an ad agency in Nashville as well as Director of its photography department. His images have been published in 40 countries, and since 2003, he’s held over 75 exhibitions and been presented with over 90 awards. He is also a teacher, workshop director, curator, juror and frequent lecturer. He is on the boards of several Arts & Photography organizations, including Atlanta Celebrates Photography festival and Slow Exposures Photofestival. He was President of the Brentwood Photography Group for many years. His work has been collected by museums, corporate and private collectors and he is an Exhibiting Member of The National Arts Club in New York.
Images by Jerry Atnip
Bird Photography from Wheeler Wildlife Refuge
Tom Ress
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
We’ll take a look at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and the birds and other wildlife as well as best locations to photograph and give a brief look at other productive birding and photo spots in north Alabama. We’ll look at photos from other destinations around the world to give a little variety.
Tom Ress is a volunteer naturalist and birding guide at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and serves as Vice President of the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association. An accomplished photographer and writer, he is the author of Images of America: Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and a frequent speaker on wildlife and travel. He has visited all seven continents, photographing birds and wildlife around the world.
Images by Tom Ress
Previous POTM Winners
