The local APLO Photo Club meets once a month on the fourth Thursday evening in the lower community room at the Lake Oconee People’s Bank. Each month, they have a slide show with member photographs of a previously selected subject or technique. Members vary from semi-professionals to amateurs with point-and-shoot cameras or smartphones. What they have in common is that they enjoy taking pictures and sharing them at a casual get-together.
For a recent meeting one of the club members, John Betancourt, gave a presentation of slides from his long career as a photojournalist. When John was 10 years old, after running with friends to a house fire, he climbed up on a nearby roof to get a better view. It wasn’t long before a crowd had gathered when a man from the local newspaper handed him his camera and asked him to take a picture of the fire. After making all the settings, the photographer said all John had to do was to point the camera and click the button. At that moment, John did not know he would be hooked for life after looking through that viewfinder.
On assignment for Pro Football magazine. 
Assignment for KMGH TV in Denver.
A few years later, his interest grew while taking a photography class in high school. During the Vietnam War, he joined the Navy, which had a great photography program. Within days, he was off to boot camp and then two tours in Vietnam. Many of his pictures were published in the Navy Times. After Vietnam, he took a civilian job as a photojournalist at TV stations in Phoenix and later in Denver. He created photos and stories that earned several awards including a couple of Emmys. One of his favorite pictures was an action shot of Broncos’ John Elway, which ended up as a magazine cover.
With Phil Donahue in Denver. 
With Lloyd Bridges for the Navy base in El Centro, California.
You can see more of John Betancourt’s pictures on his website at www.photographybybetancourt.com.
For more information about the local APLO Photo Club, their scheduled meetings, photography tips, and instructive articles, visit their website at www.APLOClub.org.