Member Bios
Linnea Matthiesen
Hi All,
I support myself by being an attorney for low income parties, therefore, I also have a low income (for the sterotypical attorney). I do enjoy helping others. Because the facts of the cases that I have are pretty horrible, I felt I needed something beautiful and artistic in my life to achieve balance. Thus, photography.
I started taking pictures in 1982 when I purchased a Yaschica FX7 film camera. It was totally manuel. When the cost of film and processing rose, and digital cameras improved, I got a Nikon 40dx. Since then I have purchased a Nikon d7200 dSLR and a Nikon 810 full frame. Eventually, I will move a mirrorless.
I enjoy photographing just about anything. I like nature, table top, macro, sports, etc. I believe that no matter the subject, you learn skills and techniques that you can apply when taking photos of other subjects. What I am very weak on, is post processing. I primarily use Photoshop Elements but want to move to the lightroom/photoshop subscription. I really need help in understanding those two programs better.
I have been a member of PSA for over 5 years and have attended several Photo Festivals. I learn a lot and meet some great people at the Festivals. I am co-chair of my local camera club and am active in my local chapter of PSA. This is the first that I am joining a study group and want critiques of my images so that I can improve my photography. Thanks!
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.
Zina Mirsky
I currently live in Walnut Creek CA. Retired US Navy Nurse and University of California San Francisco School of Nursing administrator. Born in NY City and have lived in Japan, Washington DC, and southern California all courtesy of the Navy.
I've been trying to better myself in photography since 35mm film and Kodak Brownie days, and after 40+ years of trying, still have more to do. (Lifelong learning, it's called). Now I shoot with mirrorless, DSLR, and/or waterproof cameras, depending on where I'm going. Most of my photography is travel in nature and documentary in purpose -- I like to be able to remember where I've been, why I loved it (or not) and where I'd like to go again.
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 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 last year 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!
Rick Taft
I live in central CT. I recently retired from small business Mergers & Acquisitions. Before that I spent 20+ years in the international toy industry, and before that I was in Academia.
As a photographer I have one foot in the world of film and chemical darkrooms and another in the world of digital imaging. My first real camera in high school was a 35mm Nikkormat, and I also learned to make my own prints in a chemical darkroom. When I left college, various life distractions pushed photography aside, and for decades I watched digital photography evolve to become very sophisticated.
I decided to take up and learn to use a digital camera and software when I was retiring and recovering from foot surgery. I now shoot with a Sony mirrorless camera, do post-processing with Capture One Pro 22, and make my own inkjet prints.
I photograph unusual, unexpected, striking people, places, things. I like to find something extraordinary in the ordinary through texture, colors, light. These days I am often photographing water, moving and still, among other things. I love to travel and am also playing with Macro photography.