Chris Cassell
I have been a serious amateur photographer since the late 70's, and in those earlier years had my own home darkroom, and dabbled in medium-format and 4x5 as well as the standard 35mm film-format. My photographic interests have focused on the landscape, abstract compositions, montages (in Photoshop), and photojournalism. I tend to favor monochrome images to color, but that's only a tendency. I have a special fascination with the juxtaposition of human elements with those of nature.
Since coming to the Bay area in 1997 I have become involved with the camera club community of the region. I am a past-president of the Light and Shadow Camera Club of San Jose, and I'm frequently a judge for the photo competitions of other camera clubs around the Bay. Most of these clubs are members of N4C (Northern California Council of Camera Clubs).
Professionally, I'm an aerospace engineer with specialty in orbital mechanics. I'm a co-founder and the astrodynamics lead of Deep Space Industries, a start-up with intentions to harvest resources from the near-Earth asteroids (notably water) for use in space. This will help create a viable space economy and lead to opening space as a true frontier for humanity. My career started as a US Air Force officer, and continued as an engineer at General Dynamics Space Systems (San Diego) and at Lockheed Martin Space Systems (which brought me to the Bay area). My education includes a bachelor's in Physics from the University of Chicago and a doctorate in Engineering Sciences from UC, San Diego.
My wife and I have raised two daughters, one a recent college grad and the other still in college; both are artists. I'm also a board member of the Ethical Culture Society of Silicon Valley, which is a member society of the American Ethical Union (AEU). The AEU, with roots in New York City and most of its membership on the eastern seaboard, is a humanist organization with a strong social justice commitment. It played important roles in the social justice movements of the late-19th and early 20th centuries, including helping in the formation of the ACLU and NAACP. Although its membership is no longer what it was in its hey-day, the AEU still has a strong social justice commitment which, given the current political climate, is needed in a distressingly similar way to that at the time of its formation.
I find it satisfying that Pro-Bono Photography is giving me an additional outlet for social justice and environmental action, one that utilizes my photo skills, to that which I have through Ethical Culture.
A portfolio of my photography is at https://chriscassell.smugmug.com/
Read MoreSince coming to the Bay area in 1997 I have become involved with the camera club community of the region. I am a past-president of the Light and Shadow Camera Club of San Jose, and I'm frequently a judge for the photo competitions of other camera clubs around the Bay. Most of these clubs are members of N4C (Northern California Council of Camera Clubs).
Professionally, I'm an aerospace engineer with specialty in orbital mechanics. I'm a co-founder and the astrodynamics lead of Deep Space Industries, a start-up with intentions to harvest resources from the near-Earth asteroids (notably water) for use in space. This will help create a viable space economy and lead to opening space as a true frontier for humanity. My career started as a US Air Force officer, and continued as an engineer at General Dynamics Space Systems (San Diego) and at Lockheed Martin Space Systems (which brought me to the Bay area). My education includes a bachelor's in Physics from the University of Chicago and a doctorate in Engineering Sciences from UC, San Diego.
My wife and I have raised two daughters, one a recent college grad and the other still in college; both are artists. I'm also a board member of the Ethical Culture Society of Silicon Valley, which is a member society of the American Ethical Union (AEU). The AEU, with roots in New York City and most of its membership on the eastern seaboard, is a humanist organization with a strong social justice commitment. It played important roles in the social justice movements of the late-19th and early 20th centuries, including helping in the formation of the ACLU and NAACP. Although its membership is no longer what it was in its hey-day, the AEU still has a strong social justice commitment which, given the current political climate, is needed in a distressingly similar way to that at the time of its formation.
I find it satisfying that Pro-Bono Photography is giving me an additional outlet for social justice and environmental action, one that utilizes my photo skills, to that which I have through Ethical Culture.
A portfolio of my photography is at https://chriscassell.smugmug.com/
