The 12th Annual Peterson Photography Lecture Series
The 12th Annual Peterson Photography Lecture Series will be held on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, and feature an exhibition and lecture by the St. Louis Camera Club.
About the Peterson Photography Lecture Series
"I’ve been a student at STLCC-Meramec for many years and find it to be a wonderful place to learn. In honor of this experience, I initiated the annual Peterson Photography Lecture Series in 2012 in hopes of elevating the artistic and academic discourse at this institution by funding talks and workshops conducted by invited renowned regional photographers to engage with college and local audiences.” - Kristen Peterson, Photographer, founder of the annual Peterson Photography Lecture Series at STLCC-Meramec
St. Louis Camera Club: 111 Years of Excellence and Innovation
The St. Louis Camera Club has been a creative home for photographers for decades, evolving alongside the art itself, from the days of film to the limitless possibilities of digital photography.
We welcome photographers of all experience levels, from curious beginners to seasoned professionals. Our members grow through hands-on workshops, constructive critiques, photo sharing, and regular competitions. Many go on to exhibit and sell their work.
This exhibit highlights the remarkable diversity of our members’ talents, showcasing images that span landscapes, architecture, nature, wildlife, street scenes, abstract compositions, portraits, travel photography, and the night sky. The club fosters connection, creativity, and continuous growth.
Featured artists include Bruce Backus, Madi Hawn, Donna Parrone, Cindy Lynch, Ingrid Borecki, Jeff Hirsch, and Jorge Restrepo.
About the Featured Artists
Bruce Backus
Bruce Backus is the President of the St. Louis Camera Club. Involved in photography
since 1965, he is an award-winning and published photographer. For the past 15 years,
his work has been shown in juried and solo exhibitions in the St. Louis area. Returning
to his photo beginnings, Backus is focusing on black & white photography and the magic
it creates with local landmarks and the people he encounters.
Madi Hawn
Madi Hawn has been an enthusiastic photographer reflecting many genres for over 20
years. While she still loves all types of photography, for the past 8 years she has
found her passion and been immersed mostly in taking images that tell a nature story
with special emphasis on bird migration. Madi has won many recognitions in local,
national and international competitions and has been a member of the camera club for
18 years where she currently serves as Vice-President. She has taught photography
and photoshop at St. Charles Community College and most recently at the Audubon Center
at Riverlands.
Donna Parrone
Donna Parrone is a storyteller. As an actor, she tells stories on stage and in film,
and she continues that tradition in her photography. With her husband, Jeff, she loves
to travel the world and seek out the story beyond the pretty picture, weaving a connection
between people and cultures.
Cindy Lynch
Cindy Lynch is an active member of both the St. Louis Camera Club and the Photographic
Society of America (PSA). She has served in various roles in the St. Louis Camera
Club including President and Vice president. She competes regularly and has won overall
Image of the Year twice with prints. She also competes regularly in PSA, as well as
international competitions. Cindy serves as secretary of two study groups and was
a member of the PSA Historical print committee. While she enjoys all types of photography,
Cindy has a special interest in Still Life photography.
Ingrid Borecki
Ingrid Borecki is a life-long photographer and consumer of the arts. Her focus in
photography has been in the creation of images with emotion, narrative, or impressionistic
features. She was a student in the Photography Program at St Louis Community College
at Meramec, as well as in ceramics and printmaking, and considers herself to be an
emerging artist. Her favored subjects are nature, landscapes, culturel-street, and
botanicals. She’s been a member of the St Louis Camera Club since 2011 and has served
the Camera Club in a variety of roles, her favorite being organizer of Club Meetups.
She is also a docent at the St Louis Art Museum, facilitating others’ experience and
appreciation of art.
Artists-in-residence
Jeff Hirsch
Jeff Hirsch is an award-winning photographer and photo-educator with over 35 years
of experience in the field of photography, digital imaging, pre-press, and graphic
design. A master of "geek-to-english" translation and an Adobe Certified Expert in
Lightroom and Photoshop, he teaches photography and photo workflow to individuals
and groups. Jeff is a frequent presenter at camera clubs both locally and nationally
where he speaks on a wide variety of photographic subjects. When he’s not teaching
a workshop, you will frequently find Jeff leading photo tours to beautiful locations
all over the world.
Jorge Restrepo
Jorge Restrepo is an avid photographer, always exploring new places, things, or concepts
to photograph. He started his photographic adventures in 2012 when his eldest son
decided to play baseball in first grade and Jorge wanted to capture the moments. Since
then, those moments led him to venture into other photography genres like portraits,
photojournalism, landscapes, street photography and travel photography. Jorge enjoys
exploring the world with his camera and capturing fleeting moments, whether it's people,
an interesting door, a wide panorama or a small detail.