Many SSCC members have visited the Eastern State Penitentiary or the Lonaconing Silk Mill. And lots of us have a fascination with the architecture of decay. Our speaker this month, Don Rosenberger, takes us on a virtual tour of structures well past their prime.

Don has a long and unusual photographic background. In 1983, he sold all his camera gear and walked away from photography. (Maybe he’ll tell us why!) Then, in 2005, he found another camera and has spent most of his weekends and vacation time since then trying to make up for those years away.

Since his return to photography, Don has worked with and been mentored by a great group of well known – and some not so well known – photographers. Today, he is driven by the passion and urge always to create something better and to take his work up to the next level. Don is drawn to a variety of subjects but considers landscape photography to be the core of his work. Spending a great deal of time outside – often in remote locations – gives him an appreciation for our natural world. It’s Don’s hope that his images bring others that same feeling.

What about equipment? Don shoots with everything from the iPhone to high-end DSLRs and infrared. However, he emphasizes, it’s not the camera that’s important; that’s just a tool of the photographer’s vision.

Don is the former presentation manager for the Nature Visions Photography Expo. He’s also a partner in Road Runner Photography Tours, leading national and international photography travel adventures.