Member Bios
Group Admin
Donna Sturla
I started taking snapshots when I was a kid, and got my first SLR camera about 1983. My pictures were terrible so I started taking classes at the local Jr. College, and eventually joined the Sierra Camera Club in Sacramento where we have competitions. Over time, my photography has improved. I wish I were more "creative" but my teachers have advised me to embrace my own style. I enjoy nature, architecture, peoples' portraits, action/sports, all sorts of photography. Still taking classes and still learning. I earned my Associate of Arts (AA) in Photography two years ago.
I was an Audiologist by profession for 30 years and am retired but taking classes whenever possible. I live in Citrus Heights, CA, a large city in Sacramento County, CA, but almost in Placer County. I've lived here since 1969. I like to golf and I love movies.
Mark Aksoy
I have spent most of my working life as a research scientist - mostly as a biochemist/pharmacologist working in the Pulmonary Division of Philadelphia's Temple University Hospital. My interest in photography goes back to childhood when my father let me click a few pictures with his Kodak Retina camera on family vacations. It became more serious when I purchased my first SLR (a Pentax) and joined the Delaware County Camera Club in the early 80's.
I also bought a computer (a Commodore 64) about that time, but it never occurred to me that computers and photography might someday coalesce into one single endeavor. By 1995, my beloved Commodore was on the verge of becoming an antique, and so I bought my first PC - a Pentium 90. For 6 months or so, I had the fastest computer on the block! This, in turn, finally introduced me to digital imaging and fed my growing interest in creative processing which continues to this day.
In addition, I have retained my initial first love in shooting landscapes, especially the canyons and deserts of the American West. Here nature is writ large on a grand stage, with distant mountain backdrops or a sunset against a horizon stretching to infinity. And thirdly, I have more recently focused on the macro world and the abstract patterns revealed by close-up photography.
I currently have a Nikon D750 camera with Nikon 24-120mm and Tamron 70-300mm lenses, plus an Epson V600 scanner and R2880 color printer. I continue to use a variety of imaging/graphics programs: Photoshop, Lightroom for editing; Topaz Studio, Filter Forge and Fractalius for creative effects; Photomatix for HDR; Bryce and Poser for 3D work; and Ultrafractal and Apophysis for fractal designs.
Doug Wolters
For the first 62 years of my life, I was a professional cellist and teacher. I taught elementary strings in Fairfax County, VA for about 36 years. Upon retiring in 2010, my wife, who has always been interested in photography, urged me to begin shooting for real. I had only had point & shoots until then. Thus began my journey in photography. If you would like to see more of my (and my wife's) work, go to TimePointsPhotography.com. You should not miss my wife's photographic reinterpretation of Dutch still lifes (the button is on the home page).
Rich Krebs
I graduated from Grove City College a long time ago with a BS ME degree. I joined the Navy thru OCS and was assigned a ship in Norfolk, VA. After my tour there, I went to a ship homeported in Yokosuka, Japan. After PG school in Monterey, Vietnam and Washington tours, I got off of active duty and stayed in the Naval Reserve for another 20 years, retiring in 1991. After I got out of the Navy, I had positions with defense companies or the government in Annapolis, Md, Fort Meade, Md, Greenville, Tx, St. Louis and finally Colorado, where I retired from IBM in June 2006. I was a Project Manager.
I have been taking pictures since college using a point and shoot film camera. I started taking photos with SLR's in the Navy when I went to Japan. I changed to digital in the 1990's and a DSLR last year. I take landscapes, animals, birds, travel photos. I have thousands of slides and prints from the Navy tours to Japan, Europe, Vietnam and our own travels. Now I am strictly digital and have quite a few pictures saved and online.
Diana Duffey
I am a retired first grade teacher. I enjoy knitting, reading, working in my garden, and traveling with my husband.
After I retired, I decided to add photography to my list of hobbies. I didn’t realize how little I knew about photography... I purchased a Canon Rebel 4ti, a Tamron 18-270 mm lens and a Marco EF 100 mm lens and I joined a camera club. I enjoy taking pictures of my grandchildren, nature and pictures when we travel. l am learning how to use Lightroom and Photoshop. I am looking forward to being part of this PSA Study Group.
Meredith Bain
I often had a camera in my hand - even before they were in our phones - over the years, mostly to record memories. Then when in 2013, I retired from employment in the banking and finance world I found myself with more time on my hands.
<br />One home purchase and renovation later, I asked myself now what? What will keep me engaged doing something I enjoy? Why not try photography I thought? How hard can it be? Enter my Nikon D5500.
<br />I tried to work out how to use it in modes other than auto by myself but was not super successful. I took a short basic camera course for seniors (because now I was one) and that helped a little but my images were still mediocre according to me. Our course convenor however, gave us a great piece of advice. "Join a camera club" so although it took me another year and a half to take that advice I joined Geelong Camera Club in Victoria, Australia.
<br />With 100 or so members, most of whom are willing and generous with their knowledge and with various spin off groups amongst the membership, my photography has slowly improved. I didn't know it was going to be so difficult to go from mediocre with the occasional excellent shot to regular excellent shots.
<br />So here I am with the encouragement of one of our camera club members to work with PSA to get to the next level. He should know - he is a Grand Master and achieved this through PSA!
<br />I now use a Fujifilm X-T4 most of the time and am a generalist for the moment.
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Peter Curcio
I have been interested in photography as a hobby since I was a teenager. After a long hiatus, I began to explore digital photography and became associated with the Delaware Photographic Society (DPS) through a digital photography class. I furthered my involvement in DPS by enrolling in a class on Photoshop Elements to learn the basics of post processing.
I am happy to say that I am enjoying my fifth year as a member of the Delaware Photographic Society and I continue to enjoy all the benefits that the group has to offer. I also marvel at the commitment of the DPS membership to the art of photography.
As my photographic journey continues, I enjoy sports photography with a focus on the game of rugby. Other areas of interest include historic buildings landscapes and shooting at the golden hour.
You can see my work on: Fine Art America