The Photographer of the Month For November 2023 is Harrise Niemczak

I started photographing about 4 years ago (2019).  Up until that time, my husband was the photographer.   When we retired, he gifted me a Sony A6500 camera.

We recently acquired a Sony A7RV and a Sony A7IV.  My all-around favorite lens is a Zeiss Batis 40mm 2.0 lens.  When photographing flowers, I use a Sony 90mm Marco lens, and for birds a Sony 100-400 mm lens in a crop sensor mode on the Sony A7RV. I use Lightroom, Photoshop and Topaz Studios for Post Processing.

My favorite genre would have to be flowers and birds mostly because Florida lends itself to photographing these images year-round. I also like to photograph rocket launches, full moons, sunrises, sunsets, street photography and action events if given the opportunity. Since joining this club, I have refined my skills on landscape photography and subjective matter, which makes me view things more creatively.

I enjoy photography because it lets you see things that are hard to capture in real life for example: the eyes on a butterfly, the happiness on a face, the freedom of birds flying in the sky, and flowers as they blow in the breeze.

Some of my favorite locations are St. Augustine’s Rookery, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Orlando Wetlands, Leu Gardens, and Ponce Inlet Beach.

My awards are as follows:
2020 Port Orange Camera Club—First Place Novice Award
2022 Southeast Camera Club—Awarded the Best of the Intermediate Group
2022 Port Orange Camera Club—Awarded Best Photo of the Year (Eagle)
Member of the Eagle Watch Audubon volunteer team in Volusia County Florida

I particularly enjoy the non-competitive, creative learning environment of the club along with the camaraderie of the club members. I believe that when you are in a non-competitive environment, it tends to lend itself to an easy, relaxing way to learn.

Thank you for choosing me as Photographer of the Month, and I am happy to be a contributing member of this club.