Member Bios
Charles Shepherd
When my secondary school built a darkroom, as part of the new science block, I was able to learn how to process and print b&w film. I went through a number of cameras - Halina 35, Kodak Instamatic and a Zorki 4 before buying an Olympus OM2 prior to a trip to Mexico. I wasn't satisfied with my original zoom lenses so I sold them and for years only used the following prime lenses - namely 17mm, 24mm, 50mm and 90mm as my main kit. I also used a Mamiya C220 and Rolleicord Vb.
When I was taking a career break I was able to work as an photography assistant in a commercial photography studio and consequently became vary good at painting and ironing.
I was not very impressed with early digital cameras and so held off buying a digital camera for some time. However I bought a Nikon 7200 in 2018 I found that the quality of digital was getting better (& I didn't have to spend hours in a darkroom!). I now use Olympus cameras paired up with Olympus 'pro' zoom lenses which give me the quality I desire.
I'm a member of a local camera club and when the pandemic hit the UK I joined the PSA and started entering various salons.
My main interest is shooting people, whether that be in a studio, on location or on stage. I use Photoshop and DxO but I am not very proficient in either (yet)! I love making 'mono' images.
Alec Chester
I'm a general internal medicine physician with a special interest in chronic fatigue. For the last five years I've been devoting more time to photography with a particular interest in nautical and travel photography. Lightroom 6 has been an invaluable help. I'm still working on getting better Photoshop Elements skills. As a recent member of PSA I've enjoyed exploring all the opportunities and hope to participate more in the future.
James Troeger
Originally a native "Michigander," I also lived in the Orlando, FL, Tampa/St. Pete, FL, and Asheville, NC areas prior to calling the Cape Fear region of NC home. My professional career has been spent in the areas of manufacturing and microelectronics with a heavy focus in engineering and quality roles.
My interest in photography kind of goes back as far as I can remember, having received a wide variety of cameras as gifts through the years, starting with my 10th birthday. I took a photography class in high school, which included a darkroom element, and subsequently helped me land a co-op position during my junior and senior years with a photography studio in my hometown. During that time, I served as the studio's primary black & white darkroom technician, primarily focused on developing medium format film, creating high-quality portraiture prints as large as 24" x 36" and also sepia-toned prints that were subsequently colorized by hand using watercolor and/or pencils by our in-studio colorization artist.
I have also been a member of a couple different camera clubs over the years and currently maintain association with the Coastal Photo Club in New Bern, NC. I look forward to the opportunity to learn with and from everyone who is on this journey!
Carol Heffernan
I'm originally from Long Island, NY, where I had a brownie camera and took only a few photos back then.
I'm now a retired teacher living in Southwest Florida. My husband and I taught military kids for 31 years in Stuttgart, Germany. As we began traveling the world, we both bought cameras to record all we saw. Film was a challenge because you had only 36 possible pictures to shoot on the roll, and you had to anticipate the perfect moment to shoot. We gave away our Pentax cameras, got Canon Sureshots to go digital 20+years ago. I finally took the plunge to start learning how to make better images 10 years ago, and bought a Nikon D7500, took classes, joined photo clubs and enjoyed trying to improve both my photography and my editing. I love the challenge of new things and places to shoot, though often get frustrated when I can't get exactly what I want. I also shoot with my iPhone, and was just given an OM-5...another new challenge.
Group Admin
Lori Azevedo
I'm a retired mortgage lender by profession and a photographer by passion. I never picked up anything but a point and shoot camera until 2017. After a few lessons, I ventured into the world of the "M" mode. I'm still learning to use Photoshop and Lightroom in my post processing. Baby steps there. I joined our local photography club in 2018 and love the feedback I receive from others. I look forward to your critiques also.
Pauline Jaffe
I work full time as a Contracting Officer for the federal government in the Washington D.C. area. I live in Silver Spring, MD. When I am not working, I may be:
1. at Toastmasters, improving my speaking and communication skills, specifically impromptu speaking and my leadership skills.
2. at Montgomery County CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). CERTs augment Response Resources when Response Resources are taxed and they must focus on the highest priority needs.
3. at a knitting store, learning to knit a new sweater or blanket.
4. Spending time with my beautiful family. My husband and five children ages 18 to 26. (While my children aren't married, they don't live at home).
In my early 20s, I purchased a Pentax ME Super film camera, but at the time didn’t understand the concept of Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority. Then, six or so years I purchase a Canon T2i DSLR and I took classes to understand these concepts. I also use a Tamron 70-300 lens.
I enjoy nature photography to include landscapes, birds, flowers, and micro-photography. I just joined PSA and am excited about the learning and growth that I can achieve as a result!
Robert Pantazes
My name is Robert Pantazes, and I live in Greensboro, NC. I have been practicing photography since the film era, when I developed and printed my own work in a home darkroom and used slide film for club contests. I transitioned to digital photography in the early 2000s.
My favorite subjects are scenery, flowers, and architecture. I currently use a Canon EOS R camera and use Apple Photos and Luminar Neo for post-processing.
I am a member of the Fort Myers Camera Club, where I attend meetings via Zoom and enter my images online.
Best regards