Lisa and Marc Auerbach moved to the Washington area recently from Houston, Texas, in order to live closer to their daughter and her family. Both of them kindly described their backgrounds and their interests for our New Member Snapshot column.

How did you hear about SSCC?

Lisa: Our daughter’s family lives in Silver Spring. We have talked about moving near them for a while now. I looked online for camera clubs near Silver Spring, and last June when we were here for our granddaughter’s birthday we asked to visit a meeting. Luckily it was the June social so we got to sit at a table with lovely people. Two grand friendships came from that meeting, Anne Golfer and Renee Schaefer. We knew that when we made the move we’d join the club.

How did each of you get started in photography?

Lisa: A former colleague is a photographer. I admired her work, bought a camera, began lessons, read books, and have been learning all that I can since then.

Marc: I joined the Houston Camera Club 5 years ago at Lisa’s urging. She was already a member and convinced me that this was a hobby that we would enjoy together. It gave us the opportunity to meet a new set of friends and share new experiences all related to photography.

What subjects do each of you most enjoy photographing?

Lisa: I like to photograph anything pertaining to nature although I’ll try any category. My ultimate goal is to well capture a bird in flight.

Marc: My main interest is shooting nature and landscapes.

What has inspired your photography and your choice of subjects? Has it been inspired by interesting places where you have lived or visited? By an interest in art or art forms in general? By a journalistic interest in recording what you see? By particular photographers?

Lisa: Good photographers inspire me. I enjoy field trips or day trips, workshops and learning on the go.

Marc: Ever since getting involved with photography, I look at things differently. We have also participated in 3 workshops: Banff/Lake Louise, Basque del Apache, and Chincoteague Island. Not only did I come back with some excellent images but the improvement in my skills was very noticeable.

Do either of you do much post-processing of your photos? With what software?

Lisa: I prefer Photoshop to process my images. In Houston, a member of our club is a professional photographer. If we wanted something larger than I could print, I’d sit with him, and as the image was processed we would share ideas about what might work. I learned and gave input at the same time.

Marc: I am still a rank beginner when it comes to post processing and I hope to improve.

What are you interested in learning more about?

Lisa: Capturing animals in motion, which gear is best for the occasion and how to achieve a good histogram are constant goals.

What type of camera do each of you currently use?

Lisa: I use a Canon 70D and am unsure if the next purchase will be a better camera or a better lens. And I’m unsure which would be more useful, a 150-600 or a 70-200 f/2. I am ready to hear advice from club members.

Marc: I am currently using a Canon 60D camera that Lisa gave me.

What is or was your day job(s)? Is it, or was it, related to photography in any way?

Lisa: I am a retired teacher.

Marc: I recently retired from Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift where I spent 9 years in their parts logistics department. Prior to that I was one the managers of the Sports Authority’s Houston distribution center.

What other interests, pursuits or hobbies would you like to share with the SSCC membership?

Lisa: At the moment making new friends is quite important to me. I’ve been fortunate so far and look forward to making even more through SSCC. I’ll probably get involved in League of Women Voters, and when warmer weather comes, Marc and I would like to find a kayak group.

Marc: My interests also include racquetball and hockey. I am a 7-time time Texas state and 2000 national racquetball doubles champion (50+ division). I was the team leader of the US National Racquetball Team at the 1999 Pan American Games, and I have traveled to Cali, Colombia and Cochabamba, Bolivia with the US team. I have also authored the book “Playing and Winning Racquetball”. And I’ve played in the US National Pond Hockey Championships (Eagle River, WI) for the past 9 years.

Are there any areas in club activities that you would like to become involved in?

Lisa: I’m sure I’ll fall into a club committee as time goes by, and I see what each committee does. I look forward to the opportunities.

Welcome to SSCC, Lisa and Marc! We look forward to getting to know both of you better, and to seeing your photos!