Member Profile: Barbara DeGery

About me:

Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

I am an amateur photographer, but I prefer to call myself a hobbyist.

Who are you?

My name is Barbara deGery. I am 68 years old. After 30 years of working as a Registered Dental Assistant, I retired. I live in Mountain View, California with my husband and two cats. Despite the traffic and congestion, I love where we live. There are lots of accessible open spaces and public gardens where I can escape with my camera. I also take my camera with me when my husband and I go hiking and when we travel every two years to Limoges, France to visit my mother-in-law.

Tell us about your photography journey.

My photographic journey began a long time ago with a photography class at the University of Oregon. I didn't have a camera, so I was loaned a Minolta Range Finder and learned how to take photos on a completely manual camera, it was a class requirement to record the settings of all of the photos that we took. I have fond memories of loading the film on the reel in complete darkness and watching the images I took magically appear in the darkroom.

After the class, I purchased a Nikkormat that was my companion on vacations, European travels and family events. I also used it when my brother and I would go on what we called visual adventures – taking pictures of whatever attracted our attention on a walk together. Of course, he thought his Canon was better.

About 5 years ago, I started getting serious about photography again and purchased a digital camera and macro lens. Switching to a DSLR was easy, but I was in unfamiliar territory when it came to using editing software like Lightroom. I found TSOP while searching for online courses on Lightroom and Photoshop. I am very grateful to Marc Newton and his well-organized Lightroom Class and for demystifying Photoshop in that online class. Afterwards, I took Trudy Kepke's Fine Art Landscape and the Pro Landscape class with Tom Archer. I am now working through the macro and wildlife photography classes. All of them are wonderful and worthwhile.

What is your preferred genre?

I love macro-photography of plants and flowers. It's like meditating on a beautiful parallel universe, and I enjoy learning about the plant world. I didn't like using a tripod at first, but I see its advantage, especially when I plan to stack photos in Photoshop. I have a lot to learn and explore in this genre, so the journey continues even at this age!

With the monthly assignments, I have expanded my photographic abilities, and see the creative potential of using Photoshop.

What inspires you to create photography?

Photography is a way of communicating and sharing what I see. A photograph freezes something in time, and I think a good photograph causes the viewer to pause and examine its contents.

Who are some other photographers you’re inspired by?

I was very inspired by Ansel Adams' work because he was not only a great photographer, but an environmentalist and teacher. I continue to be inspired by the TSOP's teachers, and the other photographers who post their work on the Facebook group.

My favourite photograph:

Describe the first photo you took during your learning journey.

One of the first photos of my macro journey was of a pink camellia. It's just an okay photo, but the background and composition were uninteresting. Since then, I have learned how important it is to figure out what part of the plant I want to emphasize, how to use a tripod and stack images for multiple focus points.

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

I think my favourite photograph will be one I will take in the future, but I like this one of a California Flannel Bush (Fremontodendron californicum). I like the colours, the bokeh in the background, and how I captured how the flowers look at different stages in their bloom.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

The most valuable things I have learned from TSOP are how to post-process raw photos, how to use layers and masks in Photoshop, and how photography can be incredibly creative.

What’s next for Barbara?

I'm enjoying Andy Rouse's wildlife photography course, and hope to get better at taking pictures of shorebirds and other local wildlife. I also look forward to taking the Long Exposure Photography Course.

An early photo from my learning journey ©*Barbara DeGery*

Another favourite image of mine ©*Barbara DeGery*

Conclusion

My favourite and most frustrating part of photography is going from preconception to the final photograph. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes I learn something in between. I don't know where I want to be in the future. I am thinking of creating a book or website of local gardens, but right now, I'm happy on the path I'm on with all the wonderful classes at TSOP.

Where can people follow you?

Flicker

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