Member Bios
Bruce Benson
Name: Bruce Benson
<br />Location: Tacoma, Washington
<br />Age: 72
<br />Occupation: Retired, 32 years elementary PE teacher Tacoma School District;
<br />Owner/Director "Benson Soccer USA" international soccer tours and soccer camps. We took over 1000 young soccer players around the world to participate in tournaments and training camps. Countries visited, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, England, Russia, Thailand, Argentina, Brazil.
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<br />My interest in photography began around 2004 photographing my grandkids' soccer games and making posters for them. IN 2005 a visit to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge sparked my interest in wildlife and long lenses. My first entry into a PSA competion ,the NW International Exhibition of Photography resulted in a gold medal Best of Show image and I was hooked. I started studying Photoshop and used the internet to find the best locations for wildlife. My sports photography was providing some income selling posters to soccer players allowing me to purchase a 100-400 lens and a Canon 20D camera. Selling my beloved Mazda Miata sports car
<br />provided the money to by a 400 2.8. My travels around the world provided the opportunity to photograph images for soccer tournaments in Sweden, Denmark Spain Uganda and England for use in their brouchures. In Sweden, I met the editor of Svenskdam Fotboll, a national magazine for female soccer.
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<br />I have been providing images and articles for him including covering the womens world cup in Vancouver.
I was raised near Yellowstone National Park and soon realized how fun it was to photograph wildlife. My favorite subjects are foxes, grizzly bears, and birds, especially owls and eagles.
Http://www.pbase.com/brucebenson
Maria Mazo, PPSA
Maribi Mazo is a Spanish born self- taught photographer based in Sydney, Australia since 2012.
I started my photographic journey when our family moved to Australia.
My greatest passion lies in seeing and capturing the beauty of Nature through my
photography. Flowers and Animals are my favourite subjects.
The curiosity for finding the detail keeps me in a process of constant learning and
exploration of the creative side of the photography.
Active member of two local Camera Clubs, I recently joined the Australia Photography Society (APS) and the Photography Society of America (PSA).
Karen Kratz
Location: Lillington, North Carolina.
I've been passionate about photography since childhood, but I became more serious in my 20s when I bought my first light meter-still in my kit today. After a long pause, I rediscovered my love for photography in 2003 with the purchase of my first DSLR. I'm a self-taught photographer and now use a mirrorless Sony system, having switched from Nikon about four years ago.
Since retiring 11 years ago, my husband and I have traveled to 53 countries, mostly in pursuit of photography-especially wildlife. While he focuses (haha, see what I did there?) on wildlife, my interests include landscapes, night and astrophotography, street, and macro work. I enjoy experimenting with creative techniques and abstract imagery.
I use Lightroom for most of my processing, with Photoshop for finishing touches. I'm a new member of PSA, and also belong to NANPA, and CNPA here in North Carolina, and I'm always eager to learn and grow through these communities.
Richard Goldenberg
Location: Newton, Massachusetts, USA
Occupation: Retired patent attorney
Photography: My interest in photography began in 2024 when I decided to take a Safari trip in Botswana with my son. In preparation for the trip, I purchased a Canon R7 and practiced with it, mostly photographing birds, for about six months before departing for Botswana. After six months of practicing nature photography, I was hooked!
Maria Small
Hello, everyone!
<br />I’ve been taking photographs, mostly snapshots of family gatherings and trips, in my adulthood. In early 2021, however, I decided to take this hobby seriously. For starters I enrolled in an on-line Introduction to Digital Photography through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at CalState Fullerton here in southern California. Among other things, for the first time in my life, I studied my camera and acquired a basic understanding of how it worked. Towards
<br />the end of the program, a woman casually mentioned that she had recently joined the Photographic Society of America, and I quickly took note of that information. As soon as I had
<br />the chance, I signed up for a membership and enrolled in 2022 in the Introduction to Adobe Photoshop class, then followed this with Digital Photography. I found both classes very
<br />enlightening and I was able to determine what I knew and what I didn't know. It didn’t come as a surprise that what I didn’t know was huge, and there were times when this discovery
<br />overwhelmed and discouraged me. Having retired, however, from a career in adult development, I snapped out of this state of disenchantment and reminded myself that it is never too late to learn, and that there are endless resources out there that I can tap into. All I have to do is to reach out with a willingness and a commitment to learn. I also challenged
<br />myself by asking, "IF NOT NOW, WHEN?"
<br />These last few years, I have narrowed my subjects to nature and wildlife, particularly birds. I am an avid traveler to local and international destinations for many years now, so as much as I am getting too old to be carrying my camera and lens around, I do carry them.
<br />As an enthusiastic beginner, I am looking forward to learning with and from each and all of you.
Adrian Binney, PPSA, LRPS
I am retired (70 as at 2024) and keen to devote more time to photography and traveling. My photography started 40 years ago with a home darkroom and like many, was kickstarted again with digital SLR's becoming affordable. I was a Canon man - 5 and 7 bodies, with many L series lenses, but sold the whole lot in 2015 due to weight issues. I now use an Olympus OM-1 with many of their Pro series lenses and I don't regret the move! The quality of the glass is fabulous!
I have travelled to many USA National Parks (Yellowstone a firm favourite, especially in Winter) but now shoot very little landscapes. My wife and I love traveling - Africa, Asia, Costa Rica, Borneo and many countries recently having recently found the love of ocean cruising, which has taken us to Falklands in the south and Svalbard & Greenland in the North.
I have been Secretary and Treasurer of our Camera Club [Winchester, UK] and enjoy very much helping to run a large club. I have learnt a lot from being surrounded by many good photographers (particularly in use of Lightroom and what makes a good competition image), but know I have much more to learn!
I gained LRPS in 2019 (the first Distinction level of UK's Royal Photographic Society) and EPSA in November 2024.
Group Admin
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.