Member Bios
Group Admin
R Gary Butler, QPSA, PPSA
I worked for the Eastman Kodak Co. for over 34 years and had the good fortune early in my professional career to be taught B&W and Color Photography as part of my job. I was fortunate for years to have the largest "Camera Club" in the U.S. at my disposal for both Capture, Processing and enlargement equipment.
I have always used Canon equipment and made the switch from traditional to digital photography about a decade ago. For most of my life I took my photography casually. Over the last four years I have concentrated on learning and improving both my capture and my post-processing skills. I use a Canon 5D Mark IV as my main camera, but have recently purchased an R5.
I was a part of HDR DD groups for 5 years and an admin for the last 3. I am also currently serving as the Chairperson of the PSA Scholarship committee.
Dr Isaac Vaisman, APSA, PPSA
Dr. Isaac Vaisman, PPSA
I am a native of Caracas-Venezuela, born and raised there. I still am a semiretired physician (Radiation Oncologist) and a self-educated photographer since the mid-sixties. As a teenager I was the youngest member of the Foto Club Caracas. Winner of the first price in black and white prints in all three camera clubs of Venezuela, the same year. Did my own black and white processing and printing for many years, until I finished medical school and came to the US for postgraduate training in the 70's.
After a very long gap, started with digital photography in the early 2000's and more involved since I acquired my first digital Nikon D300 . I am a "Nikonian" by conviction. Have participated in many competitions and received several awards.
I joined the first Camera Club in Florida in 2008: Broward Camera Club, of which I was President for four years (2013 to 2016). Also was a member of the Pines West Camera Club, and currently I only attend the Coral Springs Camera Club that offers activities of interest.
I joined PSA in 2011. Completed the course of Image Evaluation a few years ago, and most recently (March 2021) the Advanced Photo Travel Course and was an instructor for a while. Appointed as 2nd Vicechair of the PSA Photo Travel Division in 2021 as well as Director of all the Photo Travel Image Discussion Groups. Now I am the First vice-chair pf the PTD.
I am an active member on five of the PID Digital Dialogue groups: 04 (General Photography), 58 (street Scenes), 59 (Sport), 72 (Nature +) and now group 15 (Birds). I am the administrator of groups 15, 58 and 72. I am also a member of the PSA PTD (Travel Photography) group 04 and the PJ (Photojournalism) of Human Interest group 5 of which I am also the Administrator.
Early in 2022 I obtained my ROPA distinction QPSA, and in October 2022 my ROPA distinction PPSA. I hold 3 stars in Nature Exhibitions, 3 stars in Monochrome Class, 3 stars in Color Class, 3 star in Photo Travel Exhibitions and 1 star in Photojournalism. On September 2024 I was awarded the APSA Certification.
Bill Buchanan, HonPSA, FGDC
Bill Buchanan, HonPSA, PPSA, HonFGDC has been involved with photography almost his entire life. His passion for teaching photography has been fostered by being chairman of the Photo Guild of Detroit's Annual Photographic Seminar. Bill has presented many instructional programs in the Detroit area as well as at NECCC, SWMCC and PSA conferences. He has been a major supporter of the electronic capture photography both in his own club and the PSA. Bill served as the Chairman of the PSA Electronic Imaging division.
In 2012 at the San Francisco PSA International Conference he was awarded the Stanley B. Ashbrook, Jr. Memorial Award and the PSA Service Award for his contributions to digital photography and PSA. He regularly contributes to Study Groups #4 and 44 and is also one of the trained Accessors for the PSA Portfolios Distinctions program.
Bill was elected an honorary member, HonPSA, of the Photographic Society of America at the San Antonio, TX Conference in September 2016.
He has served as chairman for the Greater Detroit Camera Club Council's International Exhibition for the past five years.
He was awarded his PPSA in June 2021. Bill received the PSA Scales Award in 2023 for long term service to the Society.
Guy Davies, EPSA
Although I started in photography as a boy in 1946, and was soon developing and printing my own films, I really did not get serious until 1989 when I joined a camera club. I then realised just how very ordinary my pictures were! I started to enter club competitions and to listen carefully to the critiques, with the result that my photography gradually improved.
In 2003 I decided to try the international exhibition scene and was pleasantly surprised to get some acceptances. This led on to joining the PSA and aiming for star recognition as well as trying to achieve FIAP acceptances. In March 2009 I was awarded the AFIAP distinction, and in September 2009 I was awarded PPSA. Also in March 2009 I was successful in achieving the ARPS distinction of the Royal Photographic Society.
I lived on the south coast of England between Portsmouth & Southampton for about 30 years, working in the aircraft industry (jet engine control systems), having previously worked in aerodynamics and then flight test in other parts of the country. Now retired, I live close to where I was born, in the north-east near Middlesbrough. The scenery here is beautiful and my wife Paula and I both enjoy getting out to take pictures. I can be reached at guy-davies at gdpix.co.uk My preference is for landscapes but I also love waterfalls and seascapes. I have tried photographing people too, but only in the environment, not in the studio.
Until early 2004 I shot slides on a Nikon F90 (N90 in US), but now use a Nikon D300 digital SLR camera. I find that changing to digital capture has released my inhibitions as I am now much more willing to try out shots as experiments, whereas with film, I was always conscious of the cost. I don't claim any greater success rate than with film, but it's much more fun!
Vella Kendall
I am a retired nurse in a dedicated HIV unit. I started photography with a Canon Rebel. It was a way to decompress after working the night shift. I am self taught with a lot of help from husband. I belong to the Baltimore Camera Club. We have been lucky to have been able to travel and I am lucky to have a husband who has planted flowers and put up bird feeders for me, so I can take photos in my front and back yard. I have participated in Print of the Month with Joe and am happy to continue this relationship.
Erik Rosengren, FPSA, PPSA
While in college, in the late 50's, I was given a Kodak camera. It was used for record shots of family, friends and vacations. This format would continue until the mid 80's. Purchasing a Canon T90 raised my photographic bar. After taking a Photo Safari to Kenya, Africa I joined the first of two photo clubs in the Buffalo, NY, area. The Club experience proved to be a turning for me. This new learning experience can only help one become a better photographer. In 1997, due to a family illness, my wife Pam and I decided to retire. After months of travel in our RV we settled in Largo, Florida. This area has nurtured my love of nature photography.
I am the current President of the Suncoast Camera Club of Clearwater, as well as a member of the Central Chapter of PSA. In 2005, I will apply for my second star in Color Digital Images and third and fourth stars in Nature.
Ian Chantler
At the age of 15 my art teacher at school suggested as I was obviously not cut out to be an artist and did not really enjoy art lessons would I like to learn photography as he was a keen photographer and I could take photography as part of the art syllabus, thus started a love affair with cameras and photography that is in its 40th year. He supplied me with my first camera an old 35mm Yashica rangefinder and taught me darkroom techniques and instilled in me the need to get it right in the camera, I will be eternally grateful to Mr Burns. I had a a variety of cameras until 2006 when my photo equipment was stolen in a robbery and I finally moved into the digital world. I currently have as my main camera a Canon Mk1D very old but a wonderful sensor and a Canon EOS 40D and a selection of lenses. I joined Hoylake Photographic Society in 2009 and the help, support and encouragement I have received from all the members has brought my photography on enormously especially being able to study closely others peoples work. I have won several competitons since I joined and have been encouraged to enter several International competitions in the last 2 years I have had work accepted in England, Wales, France, Germany and the U.S.A. I have just joined the P.S.A. in October 2013 and again have been delighted by the warmth of the members I have had contact with so far.
I live on the beautiful Wirral Peninsula in North West of England and as for sport, I played local league football (soccer) and tennis to a decent standard my main sporting recreation now is golf, I am a member of Hoylake Golf Club and I am very proud to say I was club Captain in 2006