Member Bios
Tom Lee
I learned photography in high school, and it quickly became my passion. While raising our kids, I didn't have much time to dedicate to photography, and as a result, I traded in my SLR camera for point-and-shoots to capture their activities and family events. However, as the children grew up and left home, I found myself with more time and rekindled my interest in photography. I purchased an M-4/3 digital camera and started relearning and honing my photography skills. Today, after several upgrades, my main camera is still an M-4/3 camera, accompanied by a collection of lenses ranging from 12 to 400 mm (24-800 mm f.f.e).
Dawn Gulino
I began my photography journey in late 1980's shooting sports and landscapes. I've shot with both Nikon and Leica film cameras and was a late adaptor to digital cameras. I've slowly switched over to the Nikon Z system using the FTZ adapter as well as Z lenses.
I'm originally from North Shore of Massachusetts and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1998 and have lived here ever since. I met my wife in California and have two fabulous dogs.
I get out and photograph when I can and try to take at least one trip a year to a new location. In between, I will head out to the California coast to shoot, enjoy night time photography, and have dabbled in DSO a few times (looking forward to doing more of that). I also started taking pictures of birds, which is quite a lot different from landscape photography.
Darcy Quimby
I'm 53 and live in Southern California, married to a retired trucker so he drives and I take pictures along the way. I was medically retired from the US Army in 2009. My interest in photography has blossomed since it is an excuse for something to keep me active on our trips to escape the heat in the summer. On our trips I also write a blog about how even if a person has something holding them back they can still travel and enjoy nature. I have been dealing with multiple sclerosis for over 10 years. I use a canon 80D and have mostly focused on nature photography this past year my husband has helped stretch my horizons with framing and composing landscapes. I am looking forward to sharing and learning from the group.
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Jay Wong
I started my photography journey around 15 years ago. On this journey, I constantly strive for innovation and perfection. Photography to me is not just an art form but a bridge connecting the world and the soul.
My passion for photography stems from an insatiable curiosity and a desire to explore the world. Whether capturing the distant wonders of nature or the hidden corners of the city, I approach each moment with a unique perspective and profound emotion.
My goal is to reveal the unseen beauty of the world, showcasing the overlooked wonders through a lens. Each photograph is a new discovery, a touch to the soul, and I hope my work inspires curiosity and love for the world in others.
As I continue to explore and innovate, I look forward to pushing boundaries and delivering more breathtaking visual stories in my future photographic endeavors.
You can see my work on: JAYWPHOTO
Bob Gray
Bio Coming Soon . . .
Group Admin
Ed O’Rourke
My interest in photography started after college when I moved to Seattle and started hiking in the Cascade mountains. But then things of life, like getting married, raising kids, mortgage, etc. kept me from putting significant effort into it. With that behind us, my wife and I retired to the Central Oregon Coast in 2017 and now with extra time I am re-invigorating my photographic interests. Considering where I developed my initial interests and the exceptionally scenic area where I now live I gravitate towards outdoor photography with lots of landscapes and seascapes. However I explore all types of photography that present themselves to me (our WET winters give me time to work on indoor still life and macro photography on days when I want to stay dry).
My introduction to digital photography was when I received a Canon 7D as a gift in 2011. It was my only camera until November 2019 when I purchased a Canon R. For post processing I take a unique direction as my computer is Linux based. However two Linux packages, DigiKam and Darktable, are functionally comparable to Photoshop and Lightroom and Gimp is available for Linux and Windows systems.
Francois Venter
In the last 20 years photography has become a lifestyle for me. Although my first love is wildlife and landscape photography I am just as comfortable in the studio. I have also done many weddings and a number of corporate functions. I would say that the only genre of photography that I really dislike is baby photography. I have recently also moved into the art side of photography, studied graphic design, and a number of art techniques such as cubism, surrealism and impressionism, in order to give myself another outlet for my photography.
My engineering background allowed a good understanding of the technical aspects of photography. I have found it natural to teach, give photography talks and assist during workshops. I try to use my comments to assist people to improve their photography. What I found was that through judging, I learnt a lot about my own photography. I have been a Photographic Society of South Africa (PSSA) member since 2005 and have attended numerous PSSA congresses. I served as the Northern Gauteng Regional Director on the PSSA board since 2015.
I received my AFIAP in 2019 and my EFIAP in 2021. I also hold the following Honours from the PSSA: APSSA (Vers), DPSSA(Vers), EPSSA.