Curtis Gibbens
Curtis’ is an outdoor nature photographer whose primary interest is wildlife. He tries not to limit his wildlife subject to birds. However, since birds are easier to find than reptiles, easier to approach than mammals, and he doesn’t usually have his macro lens in the field, bird images outnumber all other wildlife in his Lightroom files.
His favorite birds are the large wading birds that hang around water. He has 1,000s of pictures of these birds at sunrise or sunset, and will probably capture 1,000s more in the future. This scene never gets old for him.
His interest sparked the first time he visited Huntley Meadows Park almost 20 years ago. Since that time, he has returned countless times armed with more expensive toys over the years. He is also a regular at many other locations in the local area where he has come away with successful images.
He takes advantage of trips by exploring parks and reserves in the area, especially when his work required travel. He has seen a large portion of the country with his camera, including a three-month trip in Southeast Alaska.
His photography has expanded beyond nature by capturing events, such as “Gotta Fly,” an air show for wounded warriors. He is also part of the photography team at his church, which is by far the most challenging photography he has endured. His favorite events are his nieces and nephew’s sports events. He can easily fill up a card in one soccer game.
He has exhibited his images and won awards in Nature Visions, the Ward Museum of Wildlife Art, and has had two exhibits at Huntley Meadows Park. He currently shoots with the Nikon D600 and the D7100. The lens he shoots 75% of the time is the Nikon 400mm with a 1.4 extension. He hopes to get a 600mm lens, and if he wins the lottery, or gets a big inheritance from a rich relative, he will get an 800mm lens.
Curtis works for the Department of Defense, which has nothing to do with photography, so he looks forward for the weekends.
He has been a member of NVPS since 1999, which has played a big role in his photography knowledge. He has learned a lot through many talented members.
You can check out his photography work at www.curtisgibbensphoto.com.
He will be presenting nature and wildlife photography prints he has taken over the past 10 years at some of his favorite places such as Huntley Meadows Park, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, and Shenandoah National Park.
Judy McGuire
Judy McGuire became interested in photography and travel when she was 10 and took her first road trip to the western states with her family and her Kodak Brownie camera. She took snapshots documenting family, travels and pets for many years before getting a Nikon SLR for slide photography. In 2007, she switched to digital and now shoots with a Nikon D7000.
Judy is most interested in travel and nature photography and loves to photograph anywhere, searching out back roads as well as obvious sites. She enjoys giving slide shows for various groups and makes calendars and note cards with her photographs. Her work has been juried into Nature Visions and the Joseph Miller Abstract Exhibit, and published as winners in Virginia Wildlife Magazine’s annual photography contest.
In 2001, Judy saw former member Luella Murri on one of the first Photographers of Northern Virginia television programs. She phoned Luella after the show for NVPS information and became a member shortly afterwards. Since then, Judy has enjoyed learning about all aspects of photography from the club’s activities. She has received a number of awards in the NVPS end of year competitions, including Slide of the Year, Advanced Digital Image of the Year, and Digital Photographer of the Year.
Judy’s show will feature photos of varied subjects taken within the last two years. A number of locations will be spotlighted, many of them only a daytrip away.
