About the instructor

Briefly, in the area of photography:

On Mt. Monadnock Photo by John Belding

1958: Got my first camera.
1962: My parents won a high quality, adjustable Polaroid camera; I was the only one who could operate it.
1966: Bought my first 35mm camera. Shortly after, bought a developing kit and enlarger.
1967: Became the "staff" photographer for a local disc jockey.
1968: Made enough money at photography to buy some new equipment. Worked for a photofinisher that catered to professional photographers.
1968-1971: Bought several different cameras while in the Army; found myself presented with unusual subjects and locales to photograph.
1972: Traveled around the country for several months with my camera; started my own photography business.
1973: Took on a partner in the photo studio. Did weddings, commercial photography, special events, photo restoration, portraiture and animal portraiture.
Traveled frequently and for long periods over the next two+ decades, generally in the U.S.
1976: Taught my first photography course (at QCC). Moved the business to Colorado. Did extensive scenic and nature photography while in the Rockies.
1978: Returned to Massachusetts to attend Hallmark Institute of Photography; returned to teaching (at QCC).

Over the next few years, I developed several different photography courses at QCC, including Photographing People, Creative Darkroom Techniques, Color Printing, and most recently Nature, Scenic and Travel Photography. As a teacher with several weeks off during the summer, I would take road trips to destinations such as national parks, major cities, state fairs, theme parks, remote locations, etc., always with the camera at hand. Continued doing various professional assignments, but eventually and gradually I drifted away from professional photography, though I continued teaching (with a brief break ).

During the mid- and late-1990s and into the 2000s, continued traveling to interesting locations, and started to use a "digital darkroom." Became the official photographer of Dianne Eno/Fusion Danceworks' Celebration of Dance performances on Mt. Monadnock, NH. Developed photographically based web pages that provide some information about some of the areas visited. In 2004, switched to all digital photography.

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