Member Bios
Group Admin
Dennis Hirning, FPSA, MPSA
I have lived in Montana for most of my life, and now live in Billings. I always enjoyed taking snapshots but I got more serious about photography during the Seattle World's Fair. A friend of mine had a 35mm camera and could do so much more than I could with my Brownie Hawkeye so I had to get one for myself. After a period of using an Exacta and Canon equipment, and I helped support my habit with a few weddings and other photographic exploits along the way, In the 1990?s my need to work to eat got in the way of a lot of my photography. I got back into it when I got a Canon Digital Rebel in 2004 and I haven't looked back since. I now use a Canon 40D with a couple of "L" lenses. I am a member of several camera clubs as well joining PSA again in 2004. I have a degree in math that I really haven't used, and my love for computers goes way back. Now I mainly use Photoshop CS5 for my digital work.
Neal R. Thompson, M.D.
Although a computer neophyte, I have since childhood followed my father’s hobby of photography. Upon retiring from a busy medical practice last year, I “saw the light” by forsaking 20 years in my wet color darkroom and making my way into digital printing. Using a Nikon Coolscan 4000 ED scanner, Photoshop 6 and an Epson 1280 printer, I have concentrated on print submission to the Southern Oregon Photographic Association and print competition with the Columbia Council of Camera Clubs. I have taught classes focusing on travel photography.
Joey Johnson
I live in Sacramento, CA and have been in love with photography since I received my first camera as a child heading off to Girl Scout camp. Photography changed for me when I took a class in high school and learned more about composition and how to develop and print my own pictures. I had an aha moment when the instructor said "You don't have to have a person in every photograph" and the gave me permission to break away from taking the family snapshot lined up in front of the Christmas tree. I then developed a love of capturing nature as best I could and continue to work on improving my skills and vision. I am retired and live in a part of California that is "two hours from someplace beautiful". In addition to photography, I enjoy cycling, gardening, hiking and just being outside.
Looking forward to being a part of this group.
Sol Blechman
My lifelong photography journey started with a Kodak Duoflex camera presented to me for my 12th birthday. Some 54 years later I find my Canon 20D (with all kinds of equipment in between) a wonderful replacement. I also use a Canon G6 for “easy” work or when I feel lazy about carrying SLR equipment. It has been a pleasure to replace the dark room, the chemicals and the long hours washing prints with digital imaging.
Many of my pictures are taken while traveling but I also believe in the old saw about finding shots in your back yard. So birds, flowers and landscapes near home about equal the people, foreign places and objects I shoot while away.
I am printing now on an Epson 2200 mostly for our local camera club. When we started with digital work a few years ago there were only a very few of us working in digital. Now the category has grown many times over and is the dominant format in the club.
Sharon Moir
I live in New York City and enjoy photographing some of the local gardens as well as taking pix for a local church and chamber orchestra. My largest interest is in travel photography and I try to take at least 3 different trips per year to different places. I'm looking forward to improving my pictures and talking with other photographers.
David Robb
I’m a lifetime Washington resident and reside on Camano Island.
I have always enjoyed photography even as a kid. Looking back I think my first experience with a camera was walking down a dirt road and staring up at the sky and seeing those billowy spring clouds against the clear blue sky. A dreamy skyscape in which I just happened to have a Kodak Instamatic Camera to capture the moment.
Now that I have more free time I see that I need to get beyond the surface of using the camera and and delve into the depths of photography. Keeping the camera in the forefront and not setting it down after a vacation or a workshop. Loosing the experience and knowledge just gained. Perpetually starting over. So this has been great so far being a part of the DD Group.
Finding the shots is my favorite aspect of photography and recently editing or cropping. There is always a picture hiding in there somewhere.
Than Sint, MPSA2, SPSA, AFIAP
I migrated to Singapore from Myanmar (Burma) last 12 years ago. I have to travel many countries according to the requirement of business and took many street photos with hand phone. I came to recognize my hidden hobby of photography last two years ago and have decided to concentrate photography preparing for my retirement time in next 5 years. Although 57 years old, I am still active simply pharmaceutical businessman. My interest in photography is street photos, landscape, cityscape, seascape, macro, natural and photos which can speak. I am also a member of Photo Society of Singapore. I like continuous learning which empowers me to become amateur photographer. Currently, I use Canon 5D Mark IV full frame and Nikon Coolpix P1000. I really expect to learn from our group senior experienced members.