Member Bios
Carolyn Todd-Larson, PPSA, AFIAP
Even as a child, Carolyn Todd-Larson always enjoyed taking photos. It was the advent of digital photography that caused her to become serious about moving beyond snapshots and automatic cameras. She bought her first digital camera in 2002, and joined the State College Photo Club a few years later. Numerous courses, workshops, competitions, and cameras since then have helped her fine tune her skills. Not to mention software upgrades…as the art of photography has become even more dependent on mastering editing techniques!
Travel photography is her strongest interest areas, especially as retirement from Penn State has allowed more time to visit other countries and cultures. Another strong interest is documentary photography such as street scenes, sports or community events. Landscapes and macro photography are also passions, and she experiments with creative abstracts from natural surroundings as well as black and white conversions.
Carolyn currently serves as Chair of the Photo Travel Division for the Photographic Society of America. She is a dedicated Penn State football fan who followed the team wherever they played for over two decades, visiting over 50 stadiums in the process. She lives in State College PA with her husband John Larson.
Ronald Du Van
Hi there, I am Ron, an amateur photographer originally from the Las Vegas, NV area. I relocated to the Pacific Northwest, just North of Spokane, in 2021. I had a minimal introduction and experience with photography in the early 90s. Then life, work, and the military happened, and I had been away until last year. After many years, I now have the time and means to earnestly reacquaint myself with the art. It has been slightly overwhelming learning about the new technology, power, capabilities, and potential of photography at our fingertips today. I will complete my A.A. in photography at S.N.H.U. this month, so that has been a huge help in garnering a whirlwind of information to gain some foundational knowledge.
I am currently using an Olympus OM-1 micro 4/3 camera with a variety of lenses. In particular, I am fond of nature, landscapes, our environment, and pictures that show the balance of any of the above with people. With that said, I am open to exploring different genres and techniques as I travel along this journey. I am loving all the opportunities for interesting and intriguing photos that surround me in the Pacific Northwest. Once school is complete, I plan to begin assembling some of my photos in one central location/service online. I am open to suggestions for the best platform or experiences from others. I am grateful for the opportunity to expand my knowledge, skills, and experiences. Photography gives me the opportunity to see the positivity and events around me, which gives me my "Zen factor".
Group Administrator
Birgit Langmann
My dad gave me my first camera when I was about 10 or 12. I got hooked and have been carrying one ever since. I love my Canon but for spur of the moment, my phone is great.
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<br />I have been a nurse for the last 10 plus years. I currently work in cardiac care and medicine floor as both staff nurse and charge nurse.
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<br />My husband and I have been married since 1997 and our daughters are adulting. My husband is a flight nurse. Our oldest is a civil engineer working seasonally in Fairbanks and our youngest is the manager of a coffee house. We also have Oliver, our German Shepard, and now a cat named Jasper (who I call Cat).
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<br />You will notice I am do a fair amount of biking and hiking, some BC and XC skiing. Rafting/boating when we get the chance. I also love winter and glaciers.
Frederick Emch
On many family vacations, I took snapshots or videos with my Nikon point and shoot camera. A few years ago, a friend got me to attend a local camera club meeting where I was mesmerized by the beauty and impact of the images. I put down my point and shoot and picked up my first DSLR. Photography is both thrilling and therapeutic for me. I was an engineer for 44 years. Now that I'm retired, I want to develop my creative side and push myself to see what is possible. I feel like I have so much to learn and I'm still finding my photographic voice. My goal is to always keep learning. The best part of my hobby is being outside or inside somewhere, creating photos with no set time to stop.
Edward Goldenberg
I am pleased to join the PJD discussion group. I am a retired interventional cardiologist. Retiring has allowed me to pursue a passion I have enjoyed since I purchased my first camera at 13 yoa. Although I am attempting to become an expert in post processing, my real interest is in taking images of people both during travel and as a street photographer. I am treasurer and chairman of PSA-PJ inter club competition for Delaware Photographic Society.
Laurie Bergner
Laurie Bergner is an avid traveler. She loves to photograph people and their cultures and in her next life would like to be a photojournalist. Originally from New York, she lives in central Illinois with her husband, traveling to DC to see her two grown children and 5 grandchildren, while keeping busy at home as a clinical psychologist with lots of volunteer activities (including president of her local travel club) as well. Good thing she’s a high energy gal!
Karl Leck
Karl Leck
Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, USA
Karl has been photographing for more than fifty years, half of which were spent photographing international equestrian sports, including six summer Olympic Games and world championships in North America and Europe. A world-traveler, Karl has photographed on every continent. His photographs have appeared on more than fifty magazine covers and in numerous equestrian sport and photography books. Credits include Sports Illustrated, National Geographic, USA Today, US News & World Report, Olympian, L’Ainee Hippique, M, EQUUS, Chronicle of the Horse, Practical Horseman, Horse Play, Horse Illustrated, Classic, Horse Classics, Dressage & CT, Pittsburgh Press, and Carnegie Technical.
Karl has twice won PSA’s Smith Award for Photojournalist of the Year. He is a Fellow of the Delaware Photographic Society and the sole Master Fellow of the Wilmington International Exhibition of Photography. Karl currently serves as Print Director for both organizations. He speaks and judges competitions at meetings of many Delaware Valley organizations.
Since retiring from editorial photography, Karl continues to expand his photographic knowledge and experience. He participates in several regional solo and group fine art print exhibits each year, believing that the lasting form of great photographs is in the print.