November 24, 2026
Michael Farnham
My View of My World

The images represent my experiences in photography. They are in order from early in 2000 to May of 2026. There is no special theme or unifying subject. They are images that I like, and they show how I have changed or maybe not changed as a photographer.

About Michael:

I bought my first DSLR in 1999. Before then the only cameras I had owned were inexpensive point and shoots and Kodak Instamatics. As a result of that, the only things I could do with a camera were point and shoot. I did not know what an f-stop was and had only a vague idea of what exposure was. I had never heard of ISO or ASA. Knowing my complete ignorance, I started researching books and local courses offered by the Dallas Community College System. These were helpful but I realized I needed something more. After a little hunting on the internet, I discovered that there were two camera clubs that met relatively nearby. Since I needed so much, I reasoned that meeting twice a month was better than meeting once a month so I joined the Dallas Camera Club.

The lessons before the meetings of the Dallas Camera Club helped me learn the mechanics of photography and introduced me to some of the artistic theories. I learned more about composition, and I began to understand the exposure triangle and the effects each leg had on the photograph. It was also extremely helpful to go on field trips and enter competitions. I had mixed success in the competitions, but I quickly learned that like Ricky Nelson said "You can't please everyone so you've got to please yourself." I focused on taking pictures I liked and adapting the rules/suggestions to my taste.

One of the main reasons I bought my DSLR was to be able to take higher quality pictures of the birds I saw on my walks. As it turned out I never took my DSLR on my walks. but I still enjoy taking pictures of birds. The field trips enabled me to try different subjects. I eventually learned that I most enjoyed wildlife, landscapes, and sports. I am still not very good at taking photos of people. I do not get a lot of practice doing that because unless they are playing sports people do not pull me in. I can appreciate other people's portraits but only after the fact.

February 23, 2027
Sharon Strugiss
Failure is creative

To create is to turn feelings into visual things.  To be shared, to help someone else, or to just show the possibilities.  The process is impossible to explain. It happens.  Not because you want it to, but because your brain has led you there. 

 For me, it’s the little unexpected things.  Something catches my eye and I will shoot it.  Why, I have no idea!!!  But somewhere down the road it will be come part of a story I need to tell.  This may not happen for years. 

Or, going to shoot on location, I will put random stuff in my car.  I do not question my choices and I rarely have a plan.  Frequently I don’t even know where I will be shooting.  I just go. And, then just see what will appear.

Most of my designing takes place in PS.  In the process of choosing an image to work on ideas and visuals of things I have shot will pop to.my head. The object may make no sense at the time.  I always honor the thought by getting it onto a layer.  Sometimes I will not use it but it is there to try.  The more ideas that fail the stronger the image becomes.  Most of my best images failed to be completed many times.

So, for me, the road to wonderful creative images is paved with many failures.  And I love this process.

As to my background, well, it was fabulous and a bit crazy.  My Grandmother was a painter and collector of Neopalitian figures.  If you know the Christmas tree at the Met in NYC then you know her collection, The museum even did a book on the Christmas tree called the Angel Tree.  Still in their bookstore as is the tree at Christmas.   My Mother was a sculpture.  A career she started later in life after they had most of us move out.  11 kids was a handful.  She kept life exciting even going as far as to build a merry-go-round in our yard. She painted all the horses.  And, the trips to Europe for myself and my sister too find items for the Angel tree.

Summers were spent on the ranch in Wyoming where Grandmother had an art studio that doubled as a Church on Mondays.  Learned to paint and explore.  We could ride off with no supervision to explore and create wonderful free days.  Fear was never in our lives.

The 4 oldest, I was 2^nd, got polio while at the ranch.  Back then we were kept, literally in the dark.  As an 8 yr old this was devasting.  But it turned my mind into a fantasy machine.  Many adventures were had and many stunning artist creations all done mentally.  Really set me up for later in life.

Quit education after high school.  Worked for a year in Chicago (international accounting) and was asked if I would like to do the accounting from London.  3 weeks later I was settled into my new life living off of Marble Arch. It was 1970 and what a time I had.  Surround my fun and creative people outside of work.  Met the Redgraves and Omar Scharif at a party!!!!  Wore 4inch platform shoes and hot pants.  Truly loved their lifestyle after very conservative Chicago.

Then my Mom was injured and I returned to Chicago to help my Dad get the boys to school and keep things going.  Bored to death, I had a friend find me a job in advertising.  Paying talent and negotiating with SAG for TV commercials. Surround by creatives and film people I moved into a new world.  Loved it.  Produced TV commercials for 35 yrs and worked my way up to VP, Director of Broadcast.

On one of those shoots I was working with a terrific Oscar award winning cameraman and told him I had just bought my first camera and that I was going to take classes to learn.  He told me to forget the classes I already knew what I needed to know.  He took left over motion picture film home and put it in his 35mm camera.  Same stuff!!!!  So all that time on sets had taught me a lot. 

And here I am still exploring new ideas and methods.!!!!!

Website:  sharonsturgis.zenfolio.com

Instagram:  sharonsturgisphoto

2027 Programs
January 2027 - Members Program
February 2027 - Sharon Sturgis

2026 Programs
January: Members Program
February Michael Mulvey: The Best of Michael Mulvey
March Mark Fletcher: Photo Adventures in Mongolia
April Laura Wilson
May Russell Stonebrook: Science as Art: A New Landscape
June Laura Wilson
July Cancelled Due to Facility Issue
August - Nancy Mack - Photographing America Part 2
September Jan Dreskin-Haig - Explorations Near and Far
October - Drew Hendrix, Red River Paper
November - Michael Farnham - My World Through My Eyes
December No Program

2025 Programs
January - Member Showcase
February - Janice Goetz: My Journey Inside and Around our Nation’s State Parks
March - Smiley Pool - Getting Ahead of Your Subject (Instead of Yourself)
April - Marilyn Henrion - Cross Pollination: Escape from the Dark Room
May - Houston Brown: Drone Photography
June - Ian McVea: Optics for the Thinking Photographer
July - Dennis Fritsche: Portals
August - Kay Hale: Impact in Photography III
September - Eddie Yu: My Journey Through Photography
October - No Program: Bird Competition
November - Rob Hull:  The Quality of Light
December - No Program

2024 Programs
January - Members Show
February - Janet Cunningham Enhance Your Creativity With LENSBABY
March - Grahan Hobart - Visualization
April - Rebecca Flores - Making the Move to Moving Images
May - 90th Anniversary Celebration - cancelled due to storms
June - 90th Anniversary Celebration
July - Anita Oakley - Travel and Photographing the World
August - Tom Fox - Sports Photography Tips and Tricks
September - Richard Sharum: Spina Americana
October - Zach Warner
November - Clinton Kemp: My Eye for Color
December - No Program

2023 Programs
January 2023 - Members Showcase "The Elements"
February 2023 - Dennis Fritsche: Themes and Projects
March 2023 - Norm Diamond: Photography from the Heart and Soul
April 2023 - Jeremy Lock: Outside Your Front Door
May 2023 - Ximena Peryea
June 2023 - Ian McVea
July 2023 
August 2023 - Russell Graves
September 2023 - Night Shoot at Reunion Tower
October 2023 - Bird
November - Susan Kindley - How Photography Changed My LIfe
December - No Program

2022 Programs

January - Member Show "My Favorite Photographs"
February - Sean Fitzgerald
March - Kaye Hargis
April - Jim Hamel:  Night Photography:  Big City Lights
May - Richard Sharum:  Campesino Cuba
June - Steve Reeves: Contest Judging Confidential
July - Richard Klein:  Finding Inspiration & Permission, The Contemporary Photographers’ Paradox
August - Jarrod Oram: Journey, Not Destination and Shooting with Intention
September - Chris Rusanowsky:
October - Michael McLean:   Environmental Portraits and Building Visual Narratives
                 VIDEO
November  - Frank Richards: (sometime in the last half of 2022)
December -  No program

2022 Programs 

January - Members Photos of the DFW Metroplex
February - Lisa Langell An artistic photographer lies in ALL of us
March - Smiley Pool DMN Photographer
April - Robert Moore - My Life on the Street
May - Jim Walsh
June - Carla Golden
July - Lisa Langell
August - Jeff Parker
September - Larry Petterborg
October - No Program - DCC Hosts the Bird
November - Steve Hawiszczak & Dalis Foglia
December - No Program

History of prior programs HERE