John Stumbos

Without giving away my age, I'll confess to making photographs for more than 50 years. It all started when my grandmother saw something in me as a teenager and gave me her 35 mm Argus camera. My connection with that Germain-made camera clicked right away. It changed my life.

In college I studied environmental sciences and journalism, a combination that opened many doors to both writing and photography. I've worked at small newspapers and freelanced for a number of agricultural trade magazines for a number of years before returning to my alma mater, UC Davis, in 1987 as both writer and photographer in the agricultural and environmental sciences.

In my 30+ year career with the University of California, I photographed and wrote about a wide range of subject matter in locations from one end of the state to the other. My job was to communicate the activities of faculty, staff, students, supporters and others. I think I did a very good job and retired a little over a year ago. I'm now focused on continuing my interest and passion about nature in its many manifestations, the challenges our environment faces, and the people who are dedicated to finding conservation and resource use solutions.

I joined PSA with the intention of sharing my work, improving my craft and, importantly, doing a better job of sharing what I create. Bear with me as I pursue that goal and also share my experiences with my fellow PSA members. I genuinely look forward to what is ahead for us and hope to meet some of you in the future.

I'm mostly a Canon guy and haven't yet made the transition to mirrorless. However, as some of you have discovered, our smartphones are becoming powerful cameras in themselves. I had a photojournalism professor who exhorted to his students, "Always carry a camera with you!" How many times have a I kicked myself for not following his advice? Too many. The best advice I've gotten from many photographers is simply this: the best camera is the one in your hands. So I will submit photos that I've taken with my smartphone because that's what I had at the time, as well as images I've shot with my primary DSLR, a Canon 5D Mark IV and its little sister, a first-generation Canon 7D, made with the heavy, expensive lenses I've invested in over the years. Let the journey begin!