Jane Wandell is the Photo Club Communication Team Calendar Coordinator
When/how did your interest in photography begin?
My father had a subscription to National Geographic. It was my favorite magazine as a child. I loved the photographs of landscapes and cultures. When I got my first camera for my birthday, a Brownie Camera, I wanted to take pictures of landscapes and cultures like I saw in the National Geographic. As I grew up, I continued to take pictures and I graduated to SLR and later DSLR cameras. My first major purchase after college was a Nikon FM100.
How did you arrive at Grand?
Upon retiring, my husband, Mike, and I began to look for a snowbird location to escape the Colorado winters. We explored many Del Web Communities. When we visited Grand and saw the Photo Club, the rec center, the indoor pool and other amenities, we fell in love. My husband particularly liked the wood shop and we both liked the beautiful golf courses. We imagined we might golf again. We bought a snowbird home in Grand but enjoyed being here so much that, in a few years, we sold it for a larger permanent home.
What do you enjoy about Grand Photo Club?
The Photo Club Studio was closed during my first visit, but I looked through the window and liked what I saw. I saw the beautiful photographs displayed and I thought, “This is where I belong.” I felt like I was a kid in a candy store. Now that I’m a Photo Club member, I continue to enjoy the displays and the amazing talent of the members. When I’m in the club I feel welcomed and encouraged and I’m enjoying the collaboration and sharing of information. It’s fun to be in a setting where I can grow in my photography skill. To me, the Photo Club is one of the best clubs in Grand.
How did you find yourself in a volunteer role?
I believe that it is important to give back to special organizations who have given to me, and the photo club is one of them. I volunteered first as a Photo market greeter, then a monitor, and a member of the team to develop a Technical Resource Center. Currently, I’m a member of the Communications Team as the Calendar Coordinator.
What is it about Photography that has maintained your interest?
Photography has always been my outlet for creativity. It was the opposite of the rigid rules I followed when I was working and designed software systems or was a project manager for Lockheed. My formal education, a double major in Economics and Business Administration and MS in technology management,
did not teach me art. Yet, I have enjoyed photography from childhood. Since I joined Grand Photos, I’ve learned new techniques and expanded my creativity with smartphone photography. I’ve moved from a “get it right in the camera” mindset of the film days to a more casual, less constrained approach to photography.
What are your favorite things to Photograph?
I continue to enjoy photographing landscapes, travel, and the culture of street photography. I like to tell a story with my photography or document my family’s journey. A new interest for me is macro photography, particularly of flowers.