Anita Elder
Name: Steve Johnson
Hometown: Urbana, IL
Member Since: 1986
Occupation: Retired Cartographer, Graphics Supervisor, GIS Manager
Favorite Things to Photograph: Cultural and natural landscapes, Travel, Waterblurs, Nature, Urban Form
Steve has been involved with The Mountaineers for over 30 years. During that time, he has been involved with numerous committees and activities. He started attending the Photography Committee slideshows in Pioneer Square (who else knew the Mountaineers used to meet there?).
After many years in a leadership role, Steve was was the chair of the first Hiking Committee and then the International Outings/Global Adventures Committee.
Photography has always been the basis for most activities through The Mountaineers for Steve. Being involved with the Photography Committee seems to allow this interest to come to the top for him.
Steve has had cameras for over 60 years, inheriting the interest in travel photography from his father. He carried a camera while serving in Vietnam and has done numerous slideshows of that ordeal. Travel has always been Steve's primary motivator. Being a geographer, he is always curious about other cultures and landscapes as well as our own locally grown.
Steve took his first Mountaineers photography course in 1991. Part of the course was a great set of speakers covering their favorite specialties. He remembers Pat O’Hara, who had just published some beautiful photo essays with Mountaineers Books. His attention to detail and respect for his subject matter still gets Steve through tough shots.
Steve is inspired by what might be around the next corner. A vista, a water blur or some local farmer. The possibilities of producing a thoughtful image and sharing it with an appreciative audience. His strength is the ability to visualize an image and then produce the wanted results. Not always successful, but it’s fun to try.
I’m inspired by what might be around the next corner. A vista, a water blur or some local farmer. A very Mountaineer thing. The possibilities of producing a thoughtful image and sharing it with an appreciative audience.
Steve loves to lead photo activities, especially in other countries. That probably explains why he lead Global Adventures for 20 years!
All photos copyright by Steve Johnson.
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHY COMMITTEE?
Attend our monthly potluck, which is the third Wednesday of each month. We socialize and share food, then we have announcements and show photos of what we have seen during the past month or year.
