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A wide-eyed infant attempts to pull herself up. The photograph, entitled "New Determination" is Brian McEntire's solitary entry in the Frederick Camera Clique's annual juried competition.

"She's four now," said McEntire of the photograph's subject — his daughter. "It's a fun memory, but distant."

McEntire has been a member of the Camera Clique for almost as long as that photo has been around, and its president for nearly two and a half years. He will hold onto the title until this weekend, when the juried exhibit opens at Frederick Community College's Mary Condon Hodgson Gallery.

"I'm actually stepping down with this next show," he said. "I'm going to let someone else take the reins."

McEntire will absolutely remain a member of the organization, he says, but as owner of his own photography studio – presidency is one less responsibility to be juggled.

"When you're self-employed, you're always trying to sort of allocate your time," he said.

And as any of the photographers who submitted work to the show could tell you, time is of the essence.

This will be the Camera Clique's 24th annual juried exhibit.

"It's actually a really prestigious show," said McEntire. "It draws entries from at least five states. This year, we had somewhere between 200 to 300 entries, which were then whittled down to 57 photos. These are professional photographers who submit only their best stuff – so it's going to be good."

The show was judged by Slovenian photographer Valentin Casarsa. A content administrator and art director with istockphoto.com, the accomplished professional also conducted a series of workshops for the club and its members.

"Last year, we invited a photographer from Los Angeles – Laurin Rinder – to conduct workshops," said McEntire. "It went over so well, that I thought maybe we should make it an annual tradition."

After contacting iStockphoto.com last fall for possible recommendations, he was directed to Casara.

"iStock is very much about the people and crowd-sourcing," McEntire continued. "It's a social community, as well. They suggested Valentin and said that if we could get the data together and make arrangements that they would pay for his airfare from Slovenia. So istock kind of sponsored the show in a way."

Casarsa, who said he has conducted similar workshops in South America, Turkey, Berlin, Malta and France, visited June 9-14. A brief trip, he said, but one that left an impression.

"This was my first trip to the United States ever," said Casarsa of the experience. "I'm glad it was that kind of a trip. It was a short trip. I landed in Washington, D.C. and came straight to Frederick. Brian had said he would love to have me back, so I am planning that trip –hopefully for next year, maybe."

According to McEntire, Casara would be more than welcome.

"The workshops were a huge success," said McEntire. "It was a very immersive experience. We kind of threw everyone in over their heads. It was more of a process of osmosis, in a way. Valentin served more as an art-director than a teacher. He kind of oversaw everything. He's one of those brilliant minds, who is still humble and soft-spoken, with a good sense of humor."

And, of course, a critical eye.

For his work with iStock, Casarsa inspects thousands of photographs a day; a fact that somewhat simplified his judging duties.

"Picking the five great ones was not that difficult," he said. "It was picking which deserves first and second prize ... To be considered perfect, I have to see the intention behind the image. If you are going for drama, perhaps high-contrast. I eliminated all that were technically not reaching the standard. What I looked for next was those that had the added value, whether it was something difficult to capture, or an artistic flourish."

But, McEntire notes, very few florals.

"There are very few flower pictures this year," said McEntire, who oversaw the judging process. "Valentin decided if it was going to be a flower, it was going to have to be spectacular."

The relatively flower-free exhibit runs throughout the month at the college gallery. The show and its reception are free and open to the public, as are all Camera Clique meetings, which are generally held the second Wednesday of each month at the Delaplaine Center for the Arts. Currently on summer break, meetings will resume in September.

"Actually, my first introduction to the camera clique was when a neighbor told me about the summer show," said McEntire.

As for Casarsa, a follow-up visit to Frederick may not be too far off.

"I like to appreciate what other people have done," he said. "Judging is the worst part of it. Just browsing is really good. Being social and interacting with one's colleagues is something I hope to do more of."

Frederick Camera Clique 24th Annual Juried Exhibit

When: July 10-Sept. 1Opening reception from 5-7 p.m. Saturday

Where: Mary Condon Hodgson Art Gallery, 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick

For information:

301-846-2513

www.frederickcameraclique.org