Member Bios

Group Admin

Bev Caine

Bev Caine

I began my interest in photography about 1977 when we were planning a trip to Europe and I threatened my husband, telling him if he fell over another bench while taking pictures I would leave him there. He suggested I take a course. I did, After my first course, I submitted a photo I took in Madeira to a local contest and took first place winning a week in Mexico, and the rest is history.

I am a semi-retired travel agent, living in Boynton Beach, FL., and my love of travel offers me many opportunities to enjoy my photography hobby. I also enjoy photographing people and flowers.




Charissa Lansing

Charissa Lansing

My interest in photography as a personal hobby was launched about ten years ago. I put aside the disposable film cameras (that I purchased frequently for making family snapshots) and invested in a point-and-shoot, digital camera. My purpose was to make flower images to send to my mom, who could no longer work in her beloved garden due to a progressive illness. In the spring of 2009, I wanted more control over my images and invested in a DSLR camera (Canon Rebel XSI) and a seminar with a local photographer to learn some photography basics. The following spring I joined our local camera club and a few months later the PSA. One valuable benefit of joining the PSA was the opportunity to complete Jon Fishback's beginner and later some advanced photography courses!

My husband and I have been married for 45 years and have lived in Champaign, Illinois, a rural community and university town, for the past 30 years. We love to travel when time allows. I am an emeriti professor at the university here with expertise in speech and hearing science. My research has focused on auditory rehabilitation, on topics such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, auditory-visual speech perception, and the impact of hearing loss on the quality of life.

There are many facets of photography that interest me, although making images of flowers is probably my favorite subject. I am intrigued by close-up and macro photography. I hope to learn from the members of the digital dialogue study group and improve my technical skills, image composition, and the impact of my images. I am learning what it is to be a photographer and strive to become a keen observer of nature and succeed at sharing what I see.




Fred Giese

Fred Giese

Fred was born and raised in Chicago, Il.. At the tender age of 8, Fred was given his first camera, a brownie, by his grandfather, Frederick F Giese an award-winning Chicago Tribune News Photographer. From then on, many weekends were spent tagging along with his grandfather on "special" assignments geared to the delight of an 8 to 12-year-old. During this time, fred was taught all the fundamentals of Photography including the darkroom and by age 10 was developing his own rolls of film.
Fast forward to 1983, Fred moved to Mesa, AZ after finally having enough of Chicago winters. He immediately fell in love with the beauty and the warmth of the area, settling into a life of work and then camping or hiking on his days off. Just before Christmas of 1998 he met a lady who would become his wife the next year. As a Christmas present in 99 she gave him his first Digital Camera and has steadily been shooting ever since.

In 2005 Fred and his wife, Georgianne, moved to a 55+ community called Sun Lakes AZ. There was a camera club there which Fred immediately joined. Shortly thereafter, Georgianne got her own camera and joined the club. During the following years both Fred and Georgianne held offices in the club with Fred becoming President and Georgianne becoming Competition Chair and Webmaster.

Fred and Georgianne left AZ in 2015 to move to Myrtle Beach, SC to be closer to family and found a camera club close by. They joined Coastal Carolina Camera Club in 2016, became a board member, and joined Tidelands Photography Club in 2017, becoming a board member there. He was also a member of the Seacoast Art Guild.

Fred has won numerous awards within his clubs, the Arizona Camera Club Council, the Arizona State Fair, Seacoast Art Guild and the Photographic Society of America.

Currently Fred is enjoying photographing Nautical subjects as well as trying his hand at Creative Altered Reality images.




Frank Kennedy

Bio Coming Soon . . .




Donald Darling Jr

I started my photography hobby in the mid 1990's. I have interests in closeup/macro photography; scenic, and some sporting events when I get a chance. I do a lot of flower photography because one of my wife's hobbies is flower gardening. So, I have many ready subjects just outside my door. For some reason I have a disinclination to photograph people, even candid imagery. So, you'll not likely see images from me with people as the subject.
I am a member of the Eastern Maine Camera Club (EMCC). I joined a little over 20 years ago. I was club president for a time, and I'm the correspondence secretary. I manage our participation in Projected Image competitions with the New England Camera Club Council.
I've been in PSA for a similar amount of time as EMCC. I am a participant in one of the PID groups dating back to slide film days. I miss slide film by the way, and I've been tempted to shoot a roll or two just to see if doing so is as enjoyable as I remember…
I shoot Nikon gear. One mirrorless (little Z 50 with two kit lenses) and two DSLR's (D750 and D90) with an assortment of film era Nikon lenses and a few "crop sensor" lenses from Tamron, Tokina and Nikon.
I am looking forward to participating in this study group, and will welcome your commentary on my work. I am good friends with Bev Caine and will enjoy meeting you, even if it's only via the Ethernet!!.




Yvonne Nystrom

Yvonne Nystrom

I am retired, living in Mesa, AZ and loving it! I was a Real Estate Broker in Washington State for 24 years and most of my photography was done on homes using a Canon Coolpix point and shoot camera. I have always been interested in photography since I was young. My Father is a Photographer. He mostly did product photography at his work, so I didn't see him do very much photography at home.
I bought my first camera in the '80's and it was a Pentax K1000 film camera. Needless to say, it was an expensive hobby at that time raising 4 young children, so I put it on the back burner until I retired. So in 2018 I bought my first digital camera and it is the one I currently use, Nikon D7500. It came with two lenses and I have since bought two more lenses, a Nikon Wide Angle 10-20mm, F 4.5 lens and a Tamron 90mm, F 2.8 Macro lens (which I LOVE). I'm still learning and have MUCH to learn, so I'm excited to be part of group of great photographers!




Pinaki Sarkar

Pinaki Sarkar

I am engineer by profession and an amateur photographer (do not make money out photos). I love traveling around the world and going out in general with my camera and taking pictures. My Insta handle is pinaki.sarkar5. Usually, I post my photos there...