Photography Club
Sun City Texas
August 2011 Featured Photographer
Don Simpson
Click on Image to enlarge
Blue Bonnets, Old Buildings, Ranch Life. Jim Bilbro, Date & Time TBD
Blue Bonnets, Old Buildings, Ranch Life. Jim Bilbro, Date & Time TBD
All Photographic images on this Web site are copyright protected by the named photographers, and may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form in any medium without specific written permission of the photographer
I was born and raised in a small town in upstate New York just outside of “Kodak Country” near Rochester, New York. So I guess the appreciation for good photography was in my blood from the very beginning. Although I have used cameras most of my life I did not become passionate about photography until the last couple of years.
I became frustrated trying to take decent pictures of my first grandchild because my camera had a bit of delay in its shutter action. As a result I seemed to “just miss” all of the best photographs. So off to the camera shop I went where I decided to purchase my first fully functional DSLR (Canon 30D). Enter the next problem – I had no idea how to do anything except use it as a totally automatic camera. That solved my shutter problem but I basically now owned a very expensive piece of equipment. So I went on the hunt for a photography class. I was very fortunate to locate a professional photographer, of more than 50 years, in a neighboring town in the seacoast of New Hampshire. He taught photography “one on one” in his studio for 3 hours each week. After his six week Basic Photography 101 class I was hooked. So I signed up and took his next six week Intermediate Photography 102 class. From there we got together weekly for the remaining seven months I lived in New Hampshire. He allowed me to go out with him on a few commercial shoots which proved to be invaluable. As a result I have purchased a Canon 1D Mark IV and numerous L Lenses.
In May 2010, my wife, Emily, and I made our move to Sun City where I quickly joined the Photography Club. Unfortunately for me, I still work Monday through Thursday so I am not able to partake in most of the club’s classes and SIG’s. I look forward to raising my level of participation once I retire at the end of the year although I have been able to participate in most of the field trips when they take place on Fridays and Saturdays. I have met many very knowledgeable and helpful people and often do some extra shooting with some of them.
I consider myself very fortunate to live here in Sun City and that a group such as this exists. I still have so much to learn.
