Featured Photographer – Louis Sapienza (2020)
Our featured photographer this month is our Vice President of contests Louis Sapienza. Louis leads the contest committee finding judges, collecting images, and running the end of year contests. Finding judges is one of the hardest jobs in the club. Finding good judges is even harder. Louis has been doing an outstanding job.
ACC: How long have you been in the Arundel Camera Club?
LS: I have been a member of the Arundel Camera Club twice. In the early 1990s I was a member for many years. I left the club for a while and then returned several years ago. I recall that in the early 2000’s all we dealt with in the Club was slides.
ACC: What offices have you held in the club?
LS: The only office I have held is the current VP Contest Chair.
ACC: How long have you been into photography?
LS: I have been interested in photography since I was 13 years old. As a teenager I had my own darkroom. After I left home, I never really lost the photography bug through college and the Navy. I always dabbled in it in some way.
LS: In the late 1960’s I got serious about photography once again. I was living in an apartment, and I used a spare bedroom as my studio and developed film in the bathroom.
LS: When we built our permanent home one bathroom was designed to also be a darkroom. I used that darkroom extensively but eventually the odor of the chemicals did not agree with me. Because of my sensitivity to the chemicals, I stopped being active in photography. In the late 1990’s I got the photography bug again. I bought a top-of-the-line Pentax camera and started shooting film again. I shot primarily with slide film. This is when I joined the photography club the first time. However, after a number of years my interest waned. I was busy with my family and my career as a music teacher/school band director. I also was pursuing a “Professional Certificate in Genealogical Studies in General Methodology” from the University of Toronto. Digital photography was in its infancy then and I really did not want to deal with the new technology.
LS: One day, as I neared retirement, I was in Sams and I saw the digital camera kits put out by Canon. I thought, well, I will have a lot of spare time now so why not give digital photography a try. After becoming familiar with the technology, I felt I was ready to do more and to follow my interest again. I then rejoined the camera club and I have never looked back.
LS: I enjoy AAC and all of the friendly members and fine photographers. Photography continues to be a significant part of my life.