Bill Miller
By
Geok Hwa Ventrice
The Camera Corner of the Cookeville Camera Club introduces Bill Miller, a member distinguished for his professionalism, as the October featured photographer.
Bill first developed his interest in photography as a freshman. His journey as a photographer began with his training at the Photography Program of the St. Louis Community College where he learned large format photography (4×5), studio photography/portraits, color management, and Photoshop. He was also a student of Intermediate Photography at the Rocky Mountain School of Photography. Later, at Cathy Church, Cayman Island, Bill learned underwater photography. Last but not least, through a variety of on-line courses, he continued to hone his skills and expand his visions. Bill is exclusively manual in his camera setting while he explores a variety of subject matters from underwater to astrophotography. As versatile as Bill is, he is humble when he considers himself as well-versed only in landscape and nature photography.
Bill joined the Cookeville Camera Club (CCC) in 2012. During his tenure as the club vice president, the last quarter of 2012, and for the whole year of 2013, Bill successfully recruited 6 guest speakers, mostly professional photographers, from Chattanooga, Knoxville and Nashville to share their insights with club members. A feature greatly enjoyed by being CCC members. As the club president in 2014 and 2015, Bill conducted numerous training workshops. His enthusiasm for professional development is appreciated by club members to this day. Bill was also the club treasurer from 2024 to 2025. Moreover, as a programmer, Bill has used his expertise in computer science and web design to develop the club’s website, i.e. PHP & MYSQL for the members’ website and WordPress for the public website. Without Bill, members wouldn’t be able to upload their images for contests every two months, register for club events or volunteer opportunities, and share their artistic visions through photo essays.
Bill enjoys teaching, if possible, teaching along “a small photographer-led cruise ship that will sail around the world, stopping everywhere … capturing interesting moments in time that become life memories … sharing with others so that my memories may become their dreams”.
From film to digital photography and from darkroom printing to software editing, Bill has much to share with club members. His extensive teaching experiences include 6 years of programming and data structures at the college level, internal courses at the corporate level and 9 years of scuba diving certification including some underwater photography. In order to help beginners grasp the nuts and bolts of photography, Bill has developed an introductory course in photography with a follow-up course in Lightroom. Both courses were well received by club members because Bill has a gift to explain complex topics as simply as possible. Because of his love for teaching, Bill has continued to develop his training materials which have mounted to a 200+ page book. Besides the CCC, Bill has given presentations at other photography clubs. For example, after a rafting trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in 2015, Bill repeated a CCC presentation for the local Sierra Club.
When asked what his advice was for beginners in photography, Bill recommended “a mentor system where a club member becomes a ‘shepherd’ to a new member”. A sensible recommendation indeed, if implemented, would be mutually beneficial to both new comers and seasoned members. While useful knowledge and skills from veterans could be transmitted to novices through direct advice, new ideas and perspectives from novices could be introduced to veterans. In the process, personal fulfillment is deepened and self-confidence is developed; rapport is built among members and collaboration is strengthened across the club.
Join us at our monthly meeting, second Monday of each month between 7:00 to 9:00pm, at the Cookeville Art Studio and Gallery. Enjoy a sense of camaraderie among like-minded people. Check out our schedule at https://www.cookevillecameraclub.com.