IMAGE MAKER

What draws new photographers to the club?New members sharetheir thoughtsDon RossI’d like to meet like-minded folks whoenjoy getting out and combining photographywith hiking, travel etc.I’m hoping to make new friends andabsorb some of the technical and artisticexpertise that I’m sure abounds in the club.I’m hoping to elevate my skills to the pointwhere I can begin giving something back.I enjoy landscapes, travelscapes, whateveropportunity comes by. I’ve been interested inphotography for about five years now. Beforethat I was simply taking snapshots.I’d rate my technical knowledge as lowintermediate and my artistic ability asbeginner.I found the Sackville Photography Clubby surfing the net. I had just purchased a newcamera and I wanted to find a community toshare my interest in photography with.My first impression was very positive. Ihad no idea the club was so large and soactive. I’ve attended two general meetings andthoroughly enjoyed both. I’m impressed withhow well-organized the club is. I’m lookingforward to meeting members each time theclub gets together. I hope to take part insome of the field trips and I would be veryinterested in partaking of renting a boat forthe tall ships.On a personal note, I’m a marriedprofessional engineer with two grown boys.I’m a regional construction manager for anorganization that does work for the military. Ilive in Bedford with my wife, Sylvie, who isalso interested in photography.H e r f a t h e r wa s a p r o f e s s i o n a lphotographer who gained some recognitionin Canada for his work. My other interestsinclude travel, hiking, swimming,motorcycling and skiing.Marilyn MacDonaldMy photographic background for yearshad been point and shoot for family eventsand vacationing.I was often in awe of hobbyphotographers; their activities seemed verymysterious and wonderful to me. Their talk off-stops and aperture only added to theunlikelihood of pursuing any questions.When my first child was born, I boughtmy first digital camera. Although I could domore with it, and a sleeping child picture waseasy enough, the point and shoot experiencewas pretty much the same – except for themacro function. I probably started withphotographing flowers that came into thehome.Anyway, it started me looking at thenatural world differently, and I was enjoyingthe results. The next camera was purchasedfor a vacation because I could put a wideangle lens on it, but still a p & s with anannoying on screen menu to keep thingscompact. The macro stopped working well onthe older p & s, so I was hampered in takingthe photos I enjoyed the most.Then santa provided me with a new toy! Iam delighted with my Rebel T2i, which shouldkeep me occupied for a long time to come.My immediate goal is to gain somecomfort with its operation, then later unleashsome creative potential!I saw a Sackville Photo Club flyer atHenry’s Camera then checked the impressive,up-to-date web site. I guess that was my firstimpression, which led me to the meeting – agold mine of knowledge and enthusiasm.Welcoming members didn’t seem off putby my lack of experience. I am hoping theclub will provide a motivating force to helpkeep photography a part of my dailyawareness, providing an outlet for questionsand conversation that are received like dungbombs at home.I have joined the photography cult! I’mhoping it will help keep my enthusiasm highand provide a vehicle for a way to learn.Eventually I look forward to being a clubasset in some capacity.From the editor’s desk:I came across this 52-week list of things to do and have fun as photographers and Ithought that it would be a good idea to complete as a fun project. I will start a newFlicker page “Sackville Photographer 52 weeks”. I hope that many of you in the clubwill join in for a bit of fun.Sackville Photography Club 17