Looking for some photographic inspiration? Look no further then the current members of the APC. Each month a different APC member will be featured and we will provide a glimpse into their photographic life.

This month, the featured photographer is our very own public relations program director,  Frans Grootveld.

Bio:
I have been interested in photography since I was in my early teens. I wanted to capture the beauty of the world around me and this seemed to be the way to do it. I even had a darkroom where I messed around with all those nasty chemicals. After a decades long break in “serious” photography while my children were growing I was inspired take it up again by 2 strangers I bumped into at Moraine Lake in Banff National Park. They had gotten married there the day before and came back early in the morning to take pictures of each other in their wedding dress and Tux. They asked me if I would take some shots of them together and after a few instructions they handed me their new SLR.  I was inspired by the moment and the camera and decided to return to my former hobby. It wasn’t until a few years later that I got a DSLR and found it a little baffling because I was used to simple cameras. Too many options! 4 years ago I found APC and after a couple of classes the light bulb clicked on and I suddenly connected my film knowledge to digital technology. Of course that only opened the door to more learning, but it was no longer baffling. But it did prove one thing a high school teacher I had once said “ The more you learn the more you realize how much you don’t know”. The adventure continues.

• How would you describe your photographic style?
  I am primarily interested in travel and landscape photography but am finding myself taking more pictures of people in candid settings. The first you have some control over depending on your time at the scene, while the second rarely allows much control, because it constantly changes.
• Which photographer is your biggest inspiration?
  My inspiration comes from other photographers around me. I learn from them by sharing knowledge and I’m inspired by them because they shoot such great images.  Joining and learning fro APC has been a big inspiration to me for those reasons.
• How long have you been interested in photography?
  I’ve been interested in photography since my teens. I took a long break from it when I had my family but have returned to it since retiring 10 years ago.
• What was your first camera?
  My first camera was a Kodak Brownie, either a Holiday or Bullet. From there I moved to a Yashica rangefinder camera and then my first SLR, a 1972 vintage Canon FTb. I still have the FTb, which I used up until 1999.
• What is your dream photo trip?
  My dream photo trip would be to travel on an adventure cruise the Antarctica.

You can view some of Frans’ work on our Meetup site.