John Coumbias

I see photographs everywhere, even in my sleep...

Photography is my passion, my hobby and even though I am

extremely dedicated and I don’t miss any opportunities to shoot, I never want it to become a career. Too many photographers lose their passion when it becomes a job and they need to earn a living from their images.

I am an engineer by profession and still manage my clients daily but always endeavour to find a healthy balance in all I do.

Earning a club award is just as special an accomplishment as winning an International medal in a recognized salon. Every moment is important and I will continue to strive to keep being patient and practicing my art. I don’t have one favourite genre but enjoy them

ll, landscape, portraiture, street photography, nature and travel – any image with good light is beautiful when it captures that magic moment.

My photography has taught me many lessons and my advice to new photographers is to be patient, enjoy your hobby and any awards that follow are a bonus. I am always learning, always wanting to try something new and I admire all photographers for their dedication and love of the craft. If I had to go back in time, I would not change anything – it has and continues to be, a wonderful, creative journey

Curriculum Vitae of John Coumbias APSSA

Born in Alexandria, Egypt and of Hellenic heritage, John Coumbias, an engineer by trade, came to reside in South Africa in 1968.

In 1970, he purchased his first photographic camera and his passion for photography was aroused. He joined the Edenvale Photographic club in 1995 and became a member of the Photographic Society of South Africa (PSSA). Currently, he belongs to the following photographic clubs: Edenvale; Jabula and Benoni.

Working his way through the numerous photographic star ratings, John has through the past fourteen years achieved a 4 star diamond rating for prints, slides and digital photography. In addition, for the past two consecutive years he has been the recipient of the Impala Trophy (an award given to an individual achieving the highest score points in a particular photographic category).

His photographic achievements have granted John the privilege of being asked by numerous photographic clubs throughout South Africa to judge their National Salons and Honours Panels. Furthermore, he has also been invited to be a guest lecturer to do presentations on his photographic work in prints, slides and digital photography. His patience for the perfect shot, his extensive photographic experience and knowledge, as well as his willingness to provide guidance and assistance to others have made him a mentor for many aspiring photographers.

Within the past 12 months, John has achieved the following photographic accolades:

- recipient of the PSSA Impala Trophy for prints with gold medals in the category: nature and pictorial in 2008

- pictorial section winner and overall winner at the 1^st Klerksdorp Photographic Club Digital Salon in 2008

- best senior image in the inter-club competition for the Central Gauteng Region of the PSSA in 2009

- overall winner of the 1^st Lowveld Photographic Slide Salon in the category:open nature in 2009

- overall winner in the category: nature birds at the Krugersdorp Camera Club 4^th National e-salon in 2009

- recipient of the Impala Trophy for the slide section with a gold medal for pictorial in 2009

- two Associateships of PSSA digital photography for nature and pictorial in 2009

- overall winner with PSA Gold for the category: wildlife, FIAP Bronze in the category: wildlife and Club Honorary Mention in the category: wildlife, in the 1^st Finland International Digital Circuit.

For John, South Africa has afforded him endless photographic opportunities through its majestic beauty and richly woven landscape. However, through endless hours spend pursuing this passion, John has through the years come to favour certain locations for various photographic categories, namely:

- for pictorial: The Lesotho Highlands, QuaQua, Clarens, Fouriesburg and Golden Gate

- for nature: Kalahari Game Reserve, Kruger National Park, Marrievale Bird Sanctuary and Rietvlei Dam