Ron Forsstrom

I want to thank the the Bristol Photographers Club (formerly Focal Planes Foto Club) for letting me be the first of many Member Spotlights showcasing the vast and broad diversity of the Club’s membership on our new website. With a special thanks to our Board members who worked hard to keep the Club going during these Covid-19 times: Heather Baker, President; Alexandru Valeri-Bruschini, former Vice President; Mike Tate, Secretary; Tim Huffnel, Member-at-Large; Ron Forsstrom, Treasurer. I’d also like to thank all the members who helped us become the club we are today.  

A little about me now. I retired almost six years ago after working for forty years at Nabisco on the Boulevard in Northeast Philadelphia. Everyone misses the sweet smell of Oreos as they drove by for all those years. I had always been interested in photography since my early teens. My Grandparents, who both worked for Honeywell in the 70’s of which Pentax was a part, got my brother and I a great deal on our first camera, an Asahi Pentax KM SLR film camera. I still have it. I used this camera for all the years in which I shot film, primarily using slide film. When digital cameras came, I used a few different point and shoot ones, finally buying another Pentax DSLR, the K3 and then the K3 II. My interest in photography and everything about it grew after my retirement. I wanted to learn more and find other like-minded people. Being part of a photo club was not something I thought of or looked into while I was working. In fact I really didn’t know about photo clubs until a chance meeting with a friend of a friend. We talked about photography, and she showed me lots of great pictures she had taken over the years. She mentioned she belonged to another area photo club. I went to a meeting, liked it and joined . Now seeing what I was missing for all those years I searched for other clubs in the area and found Bristol Photographers Club. I went to a few meetings and joined, eventually becoming a Board Member as well, first as Member-at-Large and currently as Treasurer. Being part of a club has been a great way to meet people and learn about all the aspects of photography. Talking with members, asking questions and following other photographers on YouTube has been a tremendous help in improving my skills. I like being outdoors phtographing anything from vast landscapes to intimate portraits of nature. Having traveled a lot has given me the opportunity to see many countries, cultures, and people. The highlight of my travels was when I went to Nepal and hiked up to Mt. Everest Base Camp (18,000 ft). The views were stunning and breathtaking both literally and visually. Being part of a photo club has also given me the opportunity to see and photograph many places and things in the area I never knew existed. There’s plenty to see and more to learn everyday with photography. Carry a camera, take pictures and enjoy life while you do it.