Spokane Camera Club has been capturing images of region, world for more than 90 years

Mushrooms growing under a log in the woods.

A studio portrait of a local musician.

The foot of a Balinese dancer caught midstep.

Each image captured by members of the Spokane Camera Club.

Founded in 1932, the club has 56 active members.

Donna Larsen joined 31 years ago.

“I joined with my dad when he retired,” she said. “Dad was always a photographer.

“He had a dark room in the basement. We felt special if we got to go back there.”

Her own interest originated when she had children and took photos to chronicle their lives. Joining the camera club allowed her to hone her skills.

“I went and listened, and within a year, I was taking top awards at the club’s annual meeting,” Larsen said.

The club has adapted to changing technology, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing.

“We had some growing pains when digital came out,” she said. “There was actual talk of having two separate clubs! It all resolved when more and more people went digital.”

The group meets on the first and third Wednesday of the month at the Unitarian Universalist Church. The first Wednesday is digital night, and the third Wednesday is print night.

“A professional photographer comes to the meetings and critiques our work,” Larsen said.

Each month, members are encouraged to tackle a different subject. For example, December’s theme was “Storms and Their Clouds.”

Larsen vividly recalls the time that mushrooms were the monthly subject.

“I was lying down on the ground looking at mushrooms in the woods, and people kept stopping to see if I was hurt,” she said. “You see the world differently when you’re a photographer.”

Framing outdoor shots brings her joy.

“I’m a backpacker and river rafter,” Larsen said. “I love capturing nature.”

She encourages shutterbugs to visit a meeting.

“We all have the same passion for photography,” she said.

Jon Lepper agreed. He joined the club in 2013.

“I was an art teacher at Ferris when I retired,” he said. “I’ve always loved creative things. I did jewelry and pottery in my home studio.”

The addition of a dog to his family offered a change of perspective.

“I saw all these sunsets from my window, but when I got a dog, I got out of my studio.”

Soon he was snapping thousands of photos and converted his jewelry-making space to a photography studio.

“The first thing I did was shoot artists, actors and musicians in my home,” Lepper said. “My favorite thing to photograph is people.”

Joining the camera club gave him an outlet to share his work and receive feedback.

“I saw a lot of other people’s work,” he said. “You learn from watching other’s photos get critiqued. People in our club are some of the best photographers in the Northwest.”

That mirrors Jean Alliman’s experience. When she moved to Spokane in 2019, she immediately joined the Spokane Camera Club. She and her husband have moved frequently.

“Whenever I move to a new location, I try to find something new to add to my life,” she said. “People have complimented my photography over the years.”

Discovering that the club meets near her home delighted her, but even better was the warm welcome she received.

“I sat down in an empty chair, and people turned around and greeted me and said, ‘Welcome!’ ” she said.

And the critiques improved her craft.

“Now, I can see what I can do to make my pictures better.”

As someone who has ventured across the globe, travel photos are her specialty. She draws inspiration from Georgia O’Keeffe.

“She’s my role model – the way she looks into the middle of things, like flowers or vegetables.”

But it’s movement that catches Alliman’s eye. While wintering in Bali, she snapped a photo of a teenage dancer at a Hindu festival, but her focus wasn’t on the girl. It was on her dancing feet.

In the Galápagos Islands, crabs grabbed Sally Lightfoot’s attention as she dined near the ocean.

“I loved getting down low and taking pictures of them,” she said. “These kinds of photographs give me so much joy! My goal in life is to look at the world in a new way and to be able to think about it later.”

Finding others who share her passion has been a boon.

“It’s been the highlight of our move to Spokane,” Alliman said. “It’s opened doors to a wonderful group of friends I wouldn’t have met any other way.”