Member Bios
Group Admin
Melanie Hurwitz
I am married and am extremely lucky to share share an avid interest in all forms of photography with my husband, Mervyn. My interest in photography started in the 1980's while still living in South Africa. Since moving to the USA, the hobby has become a passion. I belong to camera clubs, and have served as president multiple times.
A few years ago, I joined a group of likeminded photographers where fine art is the focus. Our format is to present our work, looking for a meaningful and proper critique. It is a constant learning process. This group has taught me to love and see the photographic art of monochrome, which I now really enjoy.
It seemed to be a natural extension of my photography to try infrared. I recently converted a Canon 20D and am eager to hone this new skill. I know I have a lot to learn and look forward to interacting with this group.
As an artist and a photographer, I try to look at subjects that are fairly ordinary and use my ability to transform them into something extraordinary. This is my goal when I'm creating images.
Arik Gorban
Arik Gorban is a photographer and photography instructor who
focuses on the creative aspects of the photographic art form.
He has over 40 years experience in the complete photographic
process, including analog photography, darkroom work, and
extensive digital imaging. His digital imaging experience includes
over 25 years of using Photoshop and other digital imaging
applications.
He frequently judges photo contests, including multiple
international Salon competitions, presents on photography, and
exhibits his fine art photography. He also photographs events and
conducts photography workshops with focus on the creative
aspects of photography. Arik’s street photography workshops are
conducted in New York City and Philadelphia. He was the curator
of a photography exhibit at the Hamilton Street Gallery and a
judge for multiple juried exhibits throughout the state.
Arik is an active speaker in camera clubs including special
presentations for the Cosmopolitan Chapter of PSA and the N.J.
Federation of Camera Clubs Conference.
Arik Gorban is the recipient of numerous awards in photo
contests, and his work has been published in the US and
internationally. Arik’s photographs have been displayed in
multiple exhibits in the Alfa Art Gallery, as well as in other
galleries and libraries in New Jersey.
Website: www.agphotoworks.com
Jack Florence Jr
I am a Northern California grape farmer who has taken advantage of semi-retirement to join my local camera club, to my great satisfaction and enrichment. I've always enjoyed a connection to the outdoors, nature, and travel; and though trained as a plant scientist, now am able to explore artistic expression, through photography. I got hold of an old infrared camera, which, along with software such as Nik Silver Fx, has given me an interest in black and white photography, particularly of landscape and travel subjects. Though completely digital, I love black and white prints, and print many of my images. I migrated from Canon to Sony mirrorless a few years ago.
Charles Walker
I am a retired professor of psychology. I have been an amateur photographer since purchasing a Minolta SLR while in grad school in 1970. I like landscape photography because of the natural beautiful places it takes me to. However, I recently decided to tinker with IR as vacation from landscape photography, so I am at the middle of the learning curve of landscape photography, but definitely just a beginner IR photographer who dearly needs some guidance and mentoring.
Gary Potts, APSA, GMPSA, SPSA
My photo journey began as a 14-year old in Bedford, Indiana, when I worked part-time at a photo store and hobby supply owned by two wonderful people. They introduced me to f-stops, shutter speeds, film types, Kodak prints and slides. They gave me a wonderful Minolta AL for my high school graduation. In college at Purdue University, I became Photo Editor of the Purdue yearbook for the 1968 edition. Somewhere along the way, I started shooting infrared film. It was tricky to load, expose and develop. Lifepixel changed all that with digital IR conversions. I presented a program at the 2015 PSA Annual Convention entitled �Infrared Photography in the Digital Age�. This was followed with both a cover photo and an article in the PSA Journal (February 2016) with the same title. I compete in many of the PSA-approved international exhibitions and achieved the level of GMPSA/B in February, 2024. My wife of 54 years, Sarah, and I live with our rat terriers Rosie & Winnie in Fishers, Indiana, a suburb community near Indianapolis.
Palli Gajree, HonPSA, PPSA
Palli Gajree was born and brought up in Kenya and had the tertiary part of his education in England. In 1972 he and his family moved to Australia from Kenya for permanent residence and settled in Melbourne, Victoria. He joined the Swinburne University of Technology (formerly known as Swinburne College of Technology) in 1973, and retired from a full-time lecturing position in Photography in December 1994.
Palli joined the PSA in 1958 and received his APSA in 1968, FPSA in 1974 and his Hon.PSA in 2003. The Distinction of PPSA was awarded in 1997. Over the years he has gained many honors and accolades from some of the leading Photographic Societies of the world namely, RPS, FIAP, APS, and PSNZ. Honors received are: FRPS 1975; Hon.FRPS 1990; MFIAP 1983; Hon.EFIAP 2002; FAPS 1976 and FPSNZ 1979.
For his "Services to Photography" he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honors List.
Palli has judged at National and International level in Australia from 1973 until 1996. For the last 10-15 years, he has been involved in digital photography and is enjoying the new technology immensely. Infrared photography is another branch he's keenly interested in pursuing ... hence the reason for joining DDG 66 group!
Emil Davidzuk
I was introduced to IR during one of my Photoshop classes, the instructor showed a few of her black and white images taken with a Hoya 72R filter. I liked the tonality and decided I would try it using this filter. After fits and starts, I finally got a few images but it was a hassle so I had my 5D Mk II converted with a 590nm filter in 2014. The hardest part of IR was learning how to process raw images, there was no central resource that I found. I learned by getting bits of information from the web and keeping at it. Last year I had a Canon 7D converted to 720nm. I use LR to catalog my images, I edit using PS with NIK and do some final edits in LR. My ideal compositions include clouds, a man-made object and foliage.
My wife and I moved to St Louis in 1972 after we graduated from Purdue. I started work at McDonnell Douglas as a novice Aero engineer and my wife started teaching math. We raised three children; two daughters and a son. They are all own their own, married, and we have four wonderful grandkids with another due to join our clan this month. I retired from Boeing in 2012 after a good long run developing missiles.
Henry Heerschap
I'm a retired systems administrator living in the Seattle area.
I've been serious about photography for the last 15 years or so. I used
to joke that taking bad photographs was a genetic trait because my
parents' photos, as well as my own, were really awful. I cringe when I
look at the images I took of my kids when they were little. Fortunately,
my photos of my grandkids are considerably better.
In 2003, I bought my first digital camera, a "point and shoot" Olympus
and quickly realized that the instant feedback a rear LCD provided was a
terrific learning tool. I started getting online and finding out how to
improve my skills and found that I really enjoyed photography as a
hobby. It wasn't long before I upgraded to my first DSLR and started
investing in lenses and other gear. Soon afterward my wife expressed an
interest in photography and has become quite accomplished in her own right.
I also started seeking out other photographers to hang out with. I
joined the Puget Sound Camera Club in 2010. It wasn't long after I
joined that I got recruited to become the Print Director for the club. I
currently serve as webmaster and newsletter editor for the club. PSCC is
a member of the Northwest Council of Camera Clubs and I serve on the
board of the NWCCC as well.
I've been a member of PSA since 2010 but haven't really done much to
take advantage of the many resources it has to offer. My wife and I
attended our first PSA Conference this year in Spokane and really got
inspired to do more with our memberships.
My areas of interest include travel, landscapes, nature, flowers,
cityscapes and macro. I also enjoy infrared photography and have shot
with a number of converted cameras over the years. My main camera these
days is a Sony A7R III. I'm fairly proficient in Lightroom and Photoshop.