Colorado Springs Digital Photo Club, Photo club, imageing society, international imaging society, peak digital imaging society, photography, computer art, digital arts, Bill Young, FigurativePhoto.com, club history.
Image © Kyle Rodman
Peak Digital Imaging Society started in November of 2000 by Bill Young and Mark Kirkland. We held our first two meetings at Shewmakers Camera Shop on 19th street. We quickly outgrew that location and moved to a bank in Old Colorado. Five months later we moved again to Elope Hats on Murray Blvd. A couple of years later we moved again, this time with Elope to a new location in Mark Dabbling Road. In 2004 we moved to the Senior Center on Hancock Blvd. PDIS is reportedly the oldest and largest all digital imaging club in the Nation.
Our club has grown over the years starting with two members in 2000 to 263 members in 2008. We have had amazing speakers to include but not limited to Hal Gould of the Camera Obscura Gallery, David Munch, George Lepp, & Dan Burkholder. We have attracted the best judges around to include pulitzer prize winner Bob Jackson, Kat Tudor of the Smokebrush Foundation, & Thomas Henn to name a few.
We have participated in photo shows in the Pikes Peak Region as well as nationally and internationally. We have amateur members and professional members. Some of our members are published on a regular basis, and others settle for sending images over e-mail to friends and family. Several of our members have been selected Colorado Professional Photographer of the year.
Most years we have five speakers, and five competition nights. In 2006 we started the Roy Scott Award - named after one of our early members that passed. The goal was to create the finest image of the year. In 2008 we voted to change the Roy Scott Award starting in 2009 to be awarded to the member that does the most for the club that year. Award winners will be selected by past Roy Scott Award Winners.
The Board:
| Bill Young | President | 2000 to present |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Kirkland | Executive Director | 2003 to 2008 |
| Taralyn Quigley | Secretary | 2004 to present |
| Mike Tanous | Treasurer | 2005 to present |
| Taralyn Quigley | Awards Committee | 2004 to 2008 |
| Terri Brown | Field Trip Organizer | 2008 |
| Bill Young | Speakers bureau | 2000 to present |
| Jeni Olivas | Awards Committee | 2009 |
Since the first meeting in November of 2000, the club has grown, and matured, settling on our current format of speakers at five meetings each year, and competitions for five meetings, augmented with field trips.
PDIS has participated in a number of community events and has reached out to the community for support. We have taken the lead on photo shows in Old Colorado City, the Smokebrush Foundation, as well as participating in shows set up by other clubs and organizations including but not limited to the State Fair, and Rocky Mountain Photo Show. Our club assisted member Jeremy Lanosga, severely injured in a fall while photographing the Garden of the Gods, in acquiring adaptive equipment and the purchase of a digital SLR so that he could continue his love of photography. We have also reached out to the Senior Center for meeting locations, the Boy Scouts for easels to display our images, and many businesses for general support. We have participated in recycling programs, and support to include kids in our activities.
Our logo was designed by Keith Johnson of Elope Hats in 2003 and adopted by the club that same year. Elope has been very supportive of our club and our efforts over the years. They provided prizes, meeting space, and even built supports for competition images to be displayed on their walls.