Featuring Cathie Wright

Cathie came to the Chatham Camera Club by way of the Hamilton area where she was a member of the Colour Photographic Club and the Audio/Visual Club at Latow in Burlington. After earning a four year degree in Visual Arts from York University, she went on to a career as a professional photographer and graphic designer, from which she is now retired. Shooting since 1982, Cathie uses Olympus products exclusively and represented that company at trade shows for ten years. She is a Macro Photography specialist who also enjoys photographing nature and architecture. We look forward to having Cathie put on presentations for The Club in the future, as there is much she can teach us. Below are some samples of her outstanding photos.

 

Featuring Bob Downey

Bob Downey got interested in photography in 1966 when he worked with film, making black and white as well as coloured prints from slides in his own dark room. He joined the Chatham Camera Club in 1971 and presented several slideshows for the members. Bob left to pursue other interests in 2000, but after retiring from his 48 year career as an optometrist, he rejoined The Club in 2017. He says he likes to photograph what he calls “the natural world”, which includes macro, flowers, birds and landscapes. Here are just a few examples of his fine work.

 

Featuring Cindy Taleski

Cindy has been a member of the CCC for three years and says that there is not a time in her life that she was not interested in photography. As a young child she would spend hours going through photos and when given the chance would get to use her parents instant Polaroid camera “The 60 second excitement”. Photography became a more serious hobby for her in the early ’90s when she got her first SLR and shot as a second shooter for a wedding photographer. From that experience she learned that weddings are not her thing. Cindy loves to read and learn all she can about photography and spend time with others who have the same interests. That is what brought her to the Chatham Camera Club, where she says she has grown and learned so much. She has spent her working career as a full-time Registered Nurse, and as she nears retirment, Cindy is looking forward to having more time to dedicate to photography. Here is a quick sample of her excellent work.

 

Featuring Les McCracken

Les was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1926 and served as a motorcycle dispatch rider during the Second World War. In 1957, he and his wife Jean and their three children emigrated to Canada where he went to work for Union Gas in Chatham. Les retired from the company in 1991 after thirty-four years. He was a member of our organization as far back as the late 1950s and became one of the most respected and well-liked people in the group, eventually being named as a Lifetime Member. Always eager to help others along in their photographic journey, we could always count on Les to share his vast wealth of knowledge. Much to our regret, Les passed away on January 17th, 2021 at the age of 94. He is greatly missed by many of our senior members for his friendly, out-going personality, his quick wit, and his willingness to help The Club. He took great delight in offering up little pearls of wisdom in his charming, Irish brogue. For those who didn’t have the pleasure of knowing him, you missed a real treasure.

 

Margaret DeClerk

Margaret began taking pictures when she retired from teaching in 2012. Although she enjoys photographing inanimate objects and landscapes, people are still her favourite subjects, especially her grandchildren. Margaret gives credit to the Chatham Camera Club for giving her many opportunities to learn new skills and techniques. She finds that partnering with other members on photo outings and taking part in our monthly photo competitions have given her the incentive she needs to look at the world with new eyes. In 2017, Margaret was named The Club’s Most Improved Photographer. Have a look at some of her work and you’ll see why. Sadly, she passed away on October 17th, 2020 at the age of 56.

 

Bill Henry

Although Bill enjoyed casual photography for many years, he started studying the art more seriously about five years ago. Mainly a nature shooter, he especially enjoys capturing images of wildflowers and has recently started experimenting with more creative work like photographing frozen bubbles and learning photo stacking. Bill is an active participant in our monthly photo competitions and looks forward to our guest speakers.

 

Laura Jasper

Laura is now retired from a local school board and is currently employed at Chatham’s Home Depot. Starting out in photography over twenty-five years ago, her main interest is Boudoir Photography and she has set up a business in that area. An active proponent of Green Screen technology, she also specializes in photographing children and babies and loves to explore abandoned houses, barns and properties. You can connect with Laura on Facebook at enticing you xox. Although she does not enter all of The Club’s photo competitions, when she does she scores very well. Below are just a few samples of her fine work.

 

Dennis Mackness

A self-described “semi-retired farmer”, Dennis has been taking pictures for over thirty years. Starting out taking family photos, his main passion these days is photographing landscapes and birds. Although he doesn’t enter The Club’s monthly competitions, he says he always enjoys seeing what others have been shooting. Shown below are just a few of the fine images that Dennis has captured.

 

Theresa St. Pierre

Along with her husband, John, Theresa is a member of both the St. Thomas Photographic Guild and the Chatham Camera Club. She has always had an interest in photography and started out back in the days of the Kodak Brownie. Before retiring from her teaching position in 2000, she regularly took school photos. As technology progressed, Theresa moved to digital and these days focuses mainly on scenic shots when accompanying John on their photo outings. Although she does not take part in our photo competitions, she uses the topics as suggestions for something to shoot. Here is a small sample of Theresa’s work.

 

Keith Chandler

Retired from the dairy delivery business, Keith was an active local athlete for many years. These days, after enjoying casual photography for over five decades, he likes taking photos of his friends playing hockey, golf and curling. As someone who does not pursue wildlife, landscape or people shots, Keith is content to watch and learn from our monthly photo competitions rather than enter himself. Still, he has become very accomplished at shooting what he enjoys best, people participating in sports. Have a look at some of the shots he’s been taking.

 

Catherine Dawson

Now retired after over forty years as a registered nurse, Catherine has recently become the Chatham Camera Club’s Welcoming Manager. She first started taking pictures as a child, using her father’s Kodak Brownie camera. As an adult, she found that she was always the one who took her family’s travel pictures. When the digital age came about, Catherine quickly developed a passion for architectural, nature and flower photographs, as well as anything she finds “unusual.” An enthusiastic Club member, Catherine says she has gained photography inspiration from her fellow members and looks forward to our gatherings and walk-abouts. Below are just a few examples of her continually improving photos.

 

Jeff McDonald

After taking pictures for about five years, Jeff joined The Chatham Camera Club in the Fall of 2016. His favourite subjects are his dogs as well as wildlife and landscapes. When time away from his foundation waterproofing business, Detailed Specialties permits, Jeff and his wife Wendy have traveled to the Caribbean, Jamaica and Hawaii in search of interesting things to photograph. A regular contributor to our Club’s photo competitions and print displays, Jeff has continually produced excellent images for us all to enjoy. Here is just a small sample of some of his work.

 

Debby Venne

Debby has always enjoyed other people’s photos and eventually decided to learn more about the craft by taking a course at St. Clair College. Her favourite subjects are landscape, nature and architecture, but not portraits. Now retired from the lab at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, she and her husband enjoy travelling and have visited Panama, Mexico, Poland, Alaska and Hawaii. Joining our Club in 2013, Debby says that she loves what it has to offer and the fact that the veterans are always willing to help the newcomers. As she continues to improve at a steady pace, have a look at what she’s been able to accomplish so far.

 

John St. Pierre

John started shooting nature photos back in the slide days over thirty years ago and has since become a very accomplished photographer. An enthusiastic participant in the CCC’s photo competitions, he especially enjoys macro subjects as well as old buildings and antique cars. In his spare time, John takes a lot of on-line photo courses which he describes as “expensive, but worth it.” Retired from teaching since 2004, John and his wife Theresa are also members of the St. Thomas Camera Club. Here is a small sample of some of his outstanding work.

 

Jean DeBruyn

A member of the Chatham Camera Club since 1988, Jean’s beautiful backyard in Blenheim provides her with excellent opportunities to photograph her main interest, nature, especially birds. She has also captured wonderful images during her travels to Europe, British Columbia, Alberta, Newfoundland, Alaska and New York. In 1993 she won an award from the National Association for Photographic Art for her Royal Bank Plaza photo which was chosen as Best Of Show. Over the course of her photographic career she has also won several other ribbons, awards and certificates. When Jean first joined the CCC there were about forty members, which eventually dwindled down to eight. During that time she served as competition chairperson for several years. Despite her busy schedule as a school bus driver, Jean still finds time to take great photos and is always an active participant in Club meetings and activities. Have a look at just a small sample of her excellent work.

 

Gary Black

Garry first joined The Chatham Camera Club in the 1960s and rekindled his interest in photography after retiring from Union Gas sixteen years ago. In the fifty years that Gary has been taking pictures he has developed a keen interest in Travel Photography and has taken photos all over the world. When he dosen’t have a camera in his hand, he also enjoys wood working, boating and golf. Have a quick look at just a few of his excellent images.

 

Kellie Watson

In the 45 years that she has been taking pictures, Kellie has developed a keen interest in travel photography while visiting France, the Mediterranean and South America as well as across the United States and Canada. Now retired from National Bank Financial, Kellie is enjoying having more time for photography and her grandchildren. Her photos can be found at www.snyephoto.com. Take a look at just a small sample of her outstanding work.

 

Frank Vadovic

Taking up photography back in the film days, Frank possessed great technical knowledge as well as a keen eye for composition. He was equally comfortable shooting portraits, nature or scenic photos and his enthusiasm for his hobby was an inspiration to those around him. Here is a very small sample of some his work.

 

Herman Giethoorn

A Chatham Camera Club member since 1970, Herman started taking pictures over fifty years ago to augment his passion for nature and wildlife. As his interest in photography grew, he opened a part-time wedding photo business in Wallaceburg. An active member of several nature and photography clubs, Herman signed with a stock photo agency in the early ’70s and has had his images published in many field guides, calendars and children’s books. Now retired from a career as an industrial machinist, he continues to produce excellent work and is an enthusiastic participant in CCC photo competitions.

 

Linda Pepper

Linda started out taking pictures of her daughter in dance class about ten years ago and quickly developed an interest in photography. Having traveled to both polar regions, her favourite subjects are Nature, Wildlife and Landscapes. Employed at the Chatham-Kent P.U.C., Linda manages to find time to participate in Club competitions where she competes near the top of the Intermediate group. We look forward to seeing more of her outstanding photos, but for now, have a look at some of her recent work.

 

Glen Spooner

Glen acquired a passion for photography when he bought his first good film camera in 1992. Making the jump to digital in 2000, he joined The Chatham Camera Club in 2002 for a five year stay. Rejoining in 2014, Glen now uses a Canon 5D Mark III and says he enjoys shooting “Everything except people.” Since retiring from Navistar nearly twenty years ago, he has had the opportunity to travel and take pictures across Europe and the U.S. Have a look at just a few of the fine images from his collection.

 

Jana Smith

A recent addition to The Chatham Camera Club, Jana uses her lifelong experience as an artist and painter to bolster her outstanding composition skills. Having taken up photography once the digital age came about, Jana says she shies away from shooting people and instead prefers old cars, machinery and buildings. Now retired from a career in medical research, she has become a very accomplished photographer in the nine years since taking up the hobby and we look forward to seeing more of her outstanding work.

 

Steven Taylor

One of two professional photographers in The Club, Steven Taylor is a former graphic designer who has now turned his full time attention to Wedding, Child, Maternity and Family photography, displaying his images at ChathamFamilyPhotography.com, StevenTaylor.Photography and ChathamWeddingPhotography.com. Using natural light and surroundings, Steven says he strives to create emotive images that tell stories of individual connections, warmth and love. In his leisure hours he enjoys creating YouTube videos like this with his family, using Green Screen technology. He has shown his remarkable talent in several of The Club’s competitions and we look forward to the day he shares some of his methods. Here’s a brief sample of some his fine work.

 

Jacquilne Gruszka

Coming to Canada from Germany at the age of twelve, Jacquilne now describes herself as “a hockey mom”, and loves to photograph her son Ryan, who plays for The Kingsville Kings Jr. A Hockey Club. Employed by the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, she also enjoys taking pictures of architecture, especially urban decay. Photographing people is also high on her list of preferred subjects, with her teenage daughter and her friends dressing up to serve as models. A regular contributor to The Club’s competitions, Jacquilne continues to improve with each entry. Here are just a few examples of her fine work.

 

Margaret Chrysler

The last hold-out in The Club for shooting film, Margaret’s knowledge and experience allowed her to make beautiful images without the use of post-processing software. She and her husband, Bob, traveled all over North America, New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, England, Scotland, Gallipolis Islands and Portugal and brought back photos which allowed us a glimpse of portions of the world that we might not otherwise have seen. She was equally at ease shooting Nature, People and Landscapes in unique and interesting ways. A kind and caring woman, Margaret, who was a Club member for over forty-five years, is remembered by most of us as The Club’s Welcoming Manager, a duty which she carried out faithfully each and every meeting for several years. She also served as Club President in the late seventies, Nature Competition Chair, Colour Competition Chair, Lunch Convenor and several stints as Monthly Bulletin Editor. Over the years Margaret entertained us with many slide shows and travelogues which we always enjoyed and looked forward to. At one point, she won an award from the National Geographic Society. In his thoughtful eulogy, Les McCracken may has summed it up best when he said, “The members of the Chatham Camera Club have considered it an honour, a privilege and a very great pleasure to have been able to call Margaret one of us!”

Take a look at just a few of her inspiring photographs.