Joan DeRosa

I first became interested in photography as an art form sometime back in the 80s when I joined the Paumanok Camera Club, at that time located in Port Jefferson library. It was, of course, a film experience back then, and most of the photos I took were on slide film, although I did also do black and white photography which I edited in a home dark room, at that time shared with my husband. We traveled extensively and it was those experiences that were our main focus; the joy of revisiting the places we had been and the people we had met made those images so special.

It would be many years later that I purchased my first digital camera and discovered the world of photo editing. As a member of The Round Table at SUNY Stony Brook, now OLLI, I took classes in Photoshop and a whole new world was opened to me as a photographer. That has been and continues to be a fascinating and sometimes daunting learning experience.

I still look forward to each travel adventure and the photo opportunities it might afford, but have also become an avid flower photographer, often using my own garden as the prime subject. There is always something, someone, someplace, that will catch my eye and I am grateful for the opportunity photography has given me to see and to appreciate what the visual world around me has to offer.

I enjoy sharing my photos with fellow photographers in OLLI classes. A few years ago I also rejoined Paumanok Camera club. I am also finally getting back to having some images printed, something I have not done in years. And now it is my pleasure to be part of WSA.