Member Bios
John Larson, FPSA, MPSA2
John F. Larson, Jr., FPSA, MPSA Autobiography
Updated October 18, 2020
609 Stoneledge Rd, State College, PA 16803
Jflarson114@gmail.com
jlarson2@scciowa.edu
Since 2004 I have been teaching at Southeastern Community College, mostly Math. I stopped face to face teaching in 2014 and now only teach online. Having recently moved to Pennsylvania I am always looking for opportunities to take pictures at local sports venues. There seem to be an abundance of State Parks which I am now exploring.
For PSA:
Manage the PJ Quarterly Competition
Past Director of the PJ Study Groups
Past Director of the PJ Image of the Year Contest
Past Chairman of the PJ Division and Chair of the Nominating Committee
Elected VP Divisions - Will assume office in October 2021
About Me:
I graduated from Valparaiso University in 1966 with a B.S.E.E. degree. I worked for 28 years at General Electric as a Design Engineer and Manager of several groups including assignments in Schenectady, NY, Nashville, TN, Ft. Wayne, IN and Burlington, IA. I then worked as Engineering Systems Manager for Marathon Electric in Wausau, WI for 10 years. After that I "retired" and went to teaching at SCC in Burlington, IA. My Cara Mia, Carolyn Todd-Larson and I were married in January 2021. She is is also a photographer and member of PSA.
Karen Leonard, PPSA
Photography has been an interest since a trip to Europe during college. I toured many major art museums, and got a quick course in the history of Western art.
I had been studying print journalism and Soviet Studies, not art. But, I realized, if I ever got a camera, I would not photograph the human figure sitting, standing or reclining.
Maurice Ping Leung
I was born (1954) and raised in Hong Kong. My first exposure to the use of camera and taking pictures occurred while I was attending secondary school (Form 3-4). I then gave up the hobby because of my commitment to attend medical school and subsequent medical training. In 2016 I Joined the Photographic Society of the Hong Kong Medical Association and started learning taking pictures in RAW and engaged in simple editing with Lightroom. I next year, I joined the Photographic Society of Hong Kong.
In 1978, I graduated from Medical School, University of Hong Kong with Distinction in Pediatrics. I took up Pediatric as my career path and ultimately received Pediatric Cardiology training for my sub-specialization. I was employed by the University of Hong Kong as a young "lecturer", and went through the promotion hierarchy of "Senior Lecturer", "Reader" and then "Professor". I left the University in 1999 and continued to serve the community as a pediatrician in private practice. As I took up photography as a serious hobby, I began winding down my medical practice. The plan is for full retirement from medical practice by the end of 2024.
Photography
When I resumed Photography in a serious fashion, I first utilized Nikon D4 and then D5. When Sony alpha 1 came out into the market (2000), I switched over to this mirrorless model and acquired a 600mm lens for my bird photography.
Group Administrator
Subhash Sapru, APSA, PPSA
Subhash Sapru APSA,PPSA
• Joined PSA in 1998
• Ist PSA Editorial Award-2006 .
• 2nd PSA Editorial Award-2007.
• International Representative of PSA-2007.
• APSA-2008.
• 3rd PSA Editorial Award-2010.
• Did a course on Image Analysis from PSA-2011.
• PPSA-2015.
Others
• AIIPC-Associate of India International Photographic Council, New Delhi-2003
• Authored a book "Photo patrakarita" for students of Journalism in Hindi speaking States- 2003
• AWIEP-Associate of Wilmington International Exhibition of Photography, Delaware-2010
• Mentor, Nikon School for basic DSLR -2014.
• Hon. Excellence USPA (Hon. EUSPA) by United States Photographic Alliance-2018.
• Achievement Award by Andhra Pradesh Photography Akademi and Image Colleague Society International, USA -2018.
• Hon. M.TPAS (Master Tricity Photo Art Society),Chandigarh-2020.
• Hon. WPAI (Wildlife Photography Association of India)-2020
• Hon. Committee Advisor of Wildlife Photography Association of India (2021-22)-2020
• PESGSPC Grand Progress Award (GPA) and distinction of Hon. PESGSPC by Pascal English School and Greek School, Cyprus-2021.
• Life Member Federation of Indian Photography-1999
• Life Member India International Photographic Council-2001
I graduated in Geography with Hons. and did Masters before doing Post-graduate Diploma in Journalism. Retired as Deputy Director (Press), Information and Public Relations Department, Haryana State, India in 2013. Again served the same Department as a Media Professional for three more years thus gaining 36 years experience as a PR professional. To also pursue my interest in bird photography, I joined the Chandigarh Bird Club in 2018.
I have travelled widely within India, USA and Pakistan.
I live in Chandigarh, one of the modern cities of India, with my wife Sunita Sapru who has served as a Research Scientist in projects at Post-graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh.
You can see my work on: Exhibition and Subhash Sapru's Blog and Images
Ardeth Carlson
I got my first camera-a green box "Snappy" from Sears & Roebuck-in 1962 and have loved photography ever since. My husband bought my first SLR, an Olympus OM-10, when I was expecting our first child. When that daughter was off to college, I bought a Nikon Pronea 6i, which had several unique features, and when I got my first DSLR, it was a Nikon, the D40. I now shoot with a Nikon D850, and my two go-to lenses, especially when traveling, are my Nikon 18-300 and Sigma Contemporary 150-600.
I have continued to illustrate my life's journey through photography ever since that first camera, and I'm that mom/auntie who was taking pictures at every family event! After careers in court reporting (verbatim transcription using a stenotype machine, not news journalism), medical transcription, and copy editing, I retired in 2015 and since then have had more time to expand my photographic interests.
Bird photography is a specialty, and I have created an annual 240-page bird photo book every year since 2016, using Blurb.com. I also enjoy general wildlife, landscapes, flowers, and macro/closeup, almost anything except studio and posed portraiture. Having started out with what is essentially human interest images, that remains one of my major joys, and I am always noticing those special moments in ordinary life wherever I go. In addition to reality photography, I love working with Adobe Photoshop to create an artistic vision. I share many of my photos on Flickr.com.
I am a member of the Loveland Photographic Society in Loveland, Colorado, serving as the newsletter editor and currently in my second year (2024) as president of the club. I joined PSA in 2018 and am also a member of the new Colorado Chapter of PSA. I received a certificate from the PSA Image Analysis course a few years ago and have also received first-place awards in the PSA Photojournalism Quarterlies in 2022. I look forward to sharing an interest in photojournalism with this dialogue group.
Jenny Shields
Jenny Shields is an award winning journalist and video producer with over 26 years experience in public relations, strategic communications and corporate branding. She's former state spokesperson for Delaware Health and Social Services, public information officer for the Cecil County (MD) Health Department and director of public and media relations for the Nobel Peace Prize winning international Quaker social justice group, the American Friends Service Committee.
After hosting a syndicated weekly feature segment in Philadelphia, Shields served two stints as a general assignment reporter for the top rated WILM-1450 Newsradio, starting out as producer for its popular NewsTalk AM & PM talk shows, going on to become an evening/weekend anchor and eventually, entertainment, education and political reporter for the station. Prior to this, Shields joined Wilmington Mayor James M. Baker to host, Probe, a minority affairs program that aired on WNS-TV, Delaware cable channel 2. Shields also served as a news reporter, field producer and special assignment reporter for the channel.
Shields was recognized by Governor Michael N. Castle and featured in the publication, Notable Firsts by African-Americans in Delaware. As a production assistant with KYW TV-3, Shields co-produced The Lion Next Door, a segment featuring a local veterinarian who made house calls with his 300 pound lioness. That work led to a WCAU-TV 10 interview with Jane Whitney, where she was recognized as a person who "beat the odds." Shields also briefly worked as a newsroom assistant for WHYY TV-12, with anchors Keith Humphrey and Rica Duffus-Cuff and reporter John Rago
Early in her public relations career, Shields coordinated the first joint press conference for the American Civil Liberties Union and The Delaware Council on Crime and Justice on truth-in-sentencing and prison reform. She also launched United Way of Delaware's Blueprint for
Multicultural Leadership, a training and recruitment program designed to identify and train diverse minority groups to serve in leadership positions on nonprofit boards. Shields also helps direct the Delaware Chapter of the internationally recognized National Coalition Building Institute and leads periodic sessions on prejudice reduction and conflict resolution for both the public and private sectors. The NCBI Cops and Communities program is recognized across the country for easing tensions between law enforcement and local communities.