Tom and Pat Cory have been professionally involved with photography for more than 40 years and have been members of PSC for many years. Their images have appeared in Outdoor Photographer, Blue Ridge Country, Sierra Club Calendars, and many other regional and national publications. For a number of years they led workshops and photo tours throughout the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific Rim.
Imaging birds is simultaneously challenging, frustrating, and rewarding. Challenging because you have to get close to a small critter that doesn’t want you close and whose movements are often fast and unpredictable. Frustrating because you may have to be very patient, manage harsh light and complex backgrounds while maintaining image quality at high ISO’s. Not to mention lugging around heavy, expensive equipment while baking or freezing and attracting every biting insect for miles.
But then there are the rewards when you create a beautiful image of a beautiful subject.
In our presentation we will discuss a diverse number of issues from equipment, to dealing with harsh light, to attracting birds, building perches, imaging birds in flight, and much more. Our goal is to help you to avoid many of the mistakes we have made in our 35 years as nature/travel photographers, and to help you to develop technique so you’re able to create images that you’re excited to share with others. And if you’re already an accomplished bird photographer to look at our images and think how you would improve them.
While many of the images we’ll show will be of tropical birds, we also want to motivate you to image more common, local species for they too can be very beautiful.
March 19, 2026 Monthly Club Meeting: a Special 2 Hour Program Focusing on Basic Photographic Skills, Starting at 6 p.m.
Spring is coming. It is a time when many us emerge from our winter photographic hibernation and get back into the field. That makes it a good time to review some of the important basics of photography as we plan our trips and outings.
Our March 19th meeting will begin at 6 p.m. and go to 8 p.m. For this meeting, we are merging the Continuing Photographic Education Program with the regular program. Three topics will be covered during the meeting: (1) Using The Exposure Triangle, (2) Composition, (3) Mistakes, plus there will be an opportunity to receive an image critique.
Four tables will be set up in the church gym, one for each topic and the image critiques. As you arrive, you will be assigned to one of the four tables. The topic presentations and the image critiques will last for 30 minutes. At the end of each 30 minute period, you will rotate to the next table. By 8 p.m., everyone will have completed all three topic presentations, plus an image critique. It is our hope that dividing the attending members into 4 smaller groups will provide a better opportunity for interaction between the presenters and members, and a better learning experience.
At approximately 8 p.m., after everyone has had the opportunity to complete all three presentations, plus receive an image critique, there will be a general Q&A session where the attending members can ask the presenters any other questions they may have on any photographic topic, including subjects not covered in the program.
The Exposure Triangle (Patrick Thompson & Ed Laughlin) Through the use of a Power Point display and discussion Patrick and Ed will explain and answer your questions about
what the Exposure Triangle is, how the three elements of the triangle (shutter speed, aperture and ISO) affect your images and how you can use these elements to improve your photography, no matter whether you shoot in Manual or Priority mode and/or use Exposure Compensation.
Composition(Louann Smith & Mickey Rountree) Want to progress from snapshots to beautiful, artistic
photographs? No need to buy a new camera or lens. Instead, improve your composition skills. A strong composition is the most powerful way to convey your artistic vision and create impactful photographs. As renowned American photographer Edward Weston famously said “Good composition is the strongest way of seeing.” At the Composition Table, Louann Smith and Mickey Rountree will talk about simple, intuitive approaches to finding good photo compositions in the field and enhancing your photo compositions with post-processing.
Mistakes (Richard Smith & Jim Pierson) The old saying goes that “good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.” So one could say that Richard and Jim’s expertise on the subject of photographic mistakes comes from their prior vast “experience.” Learn from their confessions, and it will spare you from endless pain and frustration.
Photo Critique (Bob Copeland & Mark Gilliand) Many of us are hesitant to seek another’s opinion about our photographs, even though getting constructive feedback from really good, experienced photographers is a critical step in our journey to becoming better photographers. Bob and Mark are professional photographers, both with 40 plus years of experience. Each of them has won awards for his photography, and each of them has judged many photo contests. But the reason we have asked them to participate in this club meeting is their skill in helping others become better photographers by providing honest and constructive feedback in image reviews. We ask that you bring one image to be reviewed by Bob and Mark. Let them help you become a better photographer.
The Photographic Society of Chattanooga will host professional portrait photographer Colby McLemore for an engaging, live program titled “Portraits Made Simple: Real People, Real Results.” The presentation will be held Thursday, February 19, 2026 and is open to members and guests of all experience levels.
Many photographers feel unsure once someone steps in front of their camera, leading to stressful sessions for both photographer and subject. In this interactive program, McLemore will demonstrate how to approach portraits with confidence and ease—showing how small changes in how you set up, communicate, direct, and shoot can make all the difference. Attendees will watch McLemore photograph volunteer club members live as he simplifies the process of capturing natural, authentic portraits without overcomplicating the experience or wearing out the subject.
McLemore is a Master Photographer, Photographic Craftsman, Certified Professional Photographer, and member of the Tennessee Photographers Hall of Fame. As the owner of Colby’s Photos & Videos, a full-time studio in downtown Knoxville, he serves commercial, advertising, and individual clients across the region. His award-winning work has appeared in statewide and national publications, and he presents programs and workshops for professionals throughout the United States and internationally.
His program promises a relaxed and informative experience for photographers who want to make portrait sessions easier, more enjoyable, and more successful.
The program will begin at 7pm in the Sanctuary of St John Methodist Church at 3921 Murray Hills Drive in Chattanooga.
Alan Ross is an internationally respected master photographer, printer and educator who honed his vision and technique while working side-by-side with Ansel Adams as his full-time photographic assistant.
For Alan Ross, photography has been very much a kind of language…a way to express who he is, how he thinks and how he responds to the world around him. He has used this “language of light” for over 60 years to articulate those thoughts and feelings he is often not able to put into words.
Ross will share highlights (and images!) of his career, from his early days as an assistant in an advertising studio to his time with Ansel Adams to his global adventures sharing his knowledge of, and passion for, fine art photography.
He’ll also paint a picture of the legendary Adams as only someone who worked side-by-side with him can. Using his own personal photographs of Adams working in the field, in the darkroom and at home, personal notes and letters from master to apprentice, and anecdotes and recollections from his nearly six years as Adams’ full-time photographic assistant, Ross will share his experiences of Adams as an artist, mentor and friend.
Ross was integrally involved with Adams’ books, teaching in Yosemite and the creation of fine prints. He was personally selected by Adams to be the exclusive printer of the Yosemite Special Edition Photograph negatives, an assignment he has enjoyed for over 50 years! Ross makes each print by hand from Adams’ original negatives using traditional darkroom techniques.
Following his tenure with Adams, Ross operated a successful commercial photography studio in San Francisco for 12 years, where he enjoyed working on projects ranging from world-wide campaigns for the Bank of America to landscape murals for the National Park Service.
Ross relocated to visually captivating Santa Fe in 1993, where he enjoys pursuing his own art, teaching, and writing articles and blogs sharing his vast knowledge of the art and craft of fine art photography.
Alan is also a consummate and dedicated photographic educator who inspires professionals and amateurs alike as they work to realize and refine their photographic voice.
His photography hangs in collections, galleries and museums around the world, including the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Huntington Library and the Center for Creative Photography.
“Do Penguins Ever Lose Their Awesomeness …….a Photographic Journey across the Falkland Islands.” Presented by Donna Bourdon Thursday, November 20, 2025 7:00 pm
Donna will discuss the wildlife of the Falkland Islands as only it can be experienced from a land based journey. I will share my exploration of several of the most important islands and the birds and mam-mals that inhabit them, including five species of penguins, black-browed albatross, elephant seals, kill-er whales and much more. During the presentation I will discuss specific photographic techniques for capturing images from this unique and wild ecosystem. Donna Bourdon – BIO Donna Bourdon is a former healthcare executive who left corporate life to pursue her lifelong ambition to share the beauty of wildlife through her lens. She combines her love of travel, wildlife and photography to create an artistic expression of the simple beauty all around us. Donna has received critical acclaim for many of her works. Most recently she was awarded 2nd Place Mammal Category 2024 National Wildlife Federation for an image of an epic Maasai River wildebeest crossing. She also recently received honors from Bird Photographer of the Year 2022 for a pair of red-crowned cranes in flight. In addition, she has received awards from Nature’s Best Windland Rice Inter-national Photography, Big Picture, Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, and Photographic Society of America. Her image of a bald eagle perched atop a caribou shed was recently on the cover of Sierra magazine. She has numerous images included in NWF’s holiday card collections. Donna joined the team at Denise Ippolito: A Creative Adventure as a workshop leader in 2021. She leads wildlife, cultural and flower photographic tours in the US as well as internationally. Instagram: @bourdondonna Website: donnabourdon.smugmug.com
Thomas Dodd is a visual artist and photographer based out of Atlanta, Georgia who has developed a style that he calls “painterly photo montage” – a method he employs with lighting during principal photography and with editing software during post-processing through which he crafts elaborately textured pieces that have a very organic and decidedly non-digital look to them.
His work often has mythic and quasi-religious themes that pay homage to Old Master art traditions while at the same time drawing from psychological archetypes that evoke a strong emotional response from the viewer. Although his artwork resembles paintings, his pieces are entirely photographic in nature, fusing many images into a cohesive whole. His larger prints are often presented in a mixed media form that adds a depth and texture that complements the photography beautifully.
Thomas has had gallery shows all over the world, including exhibitions in New York, Paris, Berlin, Madrid and New Orleans (and of course, in his hometown of Atlanta). He has work on display in museums and in private collector’s homes and he also teaches photo-editing and art marketing for photographers and painters who want to advance in their art careers.
Thomas began his journey as a visual artist in 2005. Before that, he was best known as the harpist and songwriter for the 1990s musical group Trio Nocturna, a Celtic Gothic ensemble that put out three critically-acclaimed albums (“Morphia”, “Tears of Light” and “Songs of the Celtic Night”) and performed at author Anne Rice’s annual Halloween balls in New Orleans. Thomas began playing the harp again during the Pandemic and is now livestreaming and recording music for meditation and sleep.
The images that Thomas creates are basically a visual equivalent of the music he composes on the harp. Mythic themes and their relation to emotions and psychological states continue to be his primary subjects and motivations.
Finding The Sweet Spot – A journey toward photographic art
Experienced and inexperienced photographers find themselves exposed to a huge array of photography-related material, images, tutorials, advice, and information. A large volume of this material is technical in nature – camera features, lens characteristics, Lightroom tricks, post-processing techniques, etc. While this technical material is important in photography, it does not speak to the heart of photographic art making. In the presentation, we intend to present a framework of the elements that make up photographic art and suggest an approach to giving priority to applying these elements in image making.
Braam is a perpetual learner of photographic art making. He acquired his first camera in 1977 as a young college student and, within a couple of years, earned awards in various local competitions with his bird photography. Missionary work assignments to Malawi, South Africa, and Indonesia provided him with opportunities to learn how to take pictures of a variety of people and places. His images were widely used by the Tourism Office of Malawi for many years. However, documentary photography did not quite satisfy his desire to showcase the beauty and wonder of God’s creation. In recent years, he has focused more on the aesthetics and emotional appeal of photography, but is quick to add that it is a journey with an elusive destination.
Braam is a member of the Photographic Society of Chattanooga (PSC) and also maintains membership with the Southern Appalachian Nature Photography Association (SANPA). He is a lifetime member of the Journal of Wildlife Photography and Photowild Magazine.
The Exposure Triangle 
(Louann Smith & Mickey Rountree)
Mistakes 
Alan Ross is an internationally respected master photographer, printer and educator who honed his vision and technique while working side-by-side with Ansel Adams as his full-time photographic assistant.
