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February 10, 2022: “Flying Into The Unknown” with John Slemp | Monthly Meeting (Virtual Only)

Updated: Feb 16, 2022


Our February Monthly Meeting will be on Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 6:45 pm! This meeting will be virtual only!


The monthly club meeting is a free event for anyone who shares a passion for photography, from the total beginner with your phone to a professional with multiple gear sets. Please join us and invite anyone who may be interested in exploring and learning about photography!


Our February Speaker is John Slemp and the topic will be “Flying Into The Unknown”.


Photographer John Slemp has been working on a project since 2014, documenting the artwork of WWII “bomber jackets.” If the veteran is still available, portraits have been created, and in some cases, the veteran has been interviewed. To date, approximately 150 jackets have been photographed, with about a dozen of those taken in the last week of January 2022. The jackets have come from a dozen museums across America and from private owners. All have a story to tell.


He’ll talk about…

  • The genesis of the project

  • The technical aspects

  • Example images and stories

  • Where it has led

  • How it has been sustained

  • Where it’s going now

  • The benefits (and drawbacks) of a long-term project


John’s Biography

Born in Japan, John Slemp was a world traveler before he was a teen. After attending college on an academic scholarship, he served in the US Army stationed in Germany, and out of curiosity spent many hours visiting well-known museums throughout Europe. Little did he know that he was preparing for a life in commercial photography, with the world’s best art being a spellbinding tutor.

Fast forward twenty-plus years, and his extensive photography experience allows him to create a wide variety of images including environmental still life, portraits, and lifestyle images.

Light, shape, and composition are the tools used to create images for a wide variety of editorial, corporate, and advertising clients worldwide. Easy to work with, his goal is to create the best images possible for each assignment. A great sense of humor is an added plus, which keeps everyone on set loose and lively.


As an aside, he’s a big fan of dogs, fly fishing, and a good cheeseburger. Oddly, he likes cutting the grass too, as it offers time to think, and we cut a lot of grass in the South.

His work has won several industry awards, including three times being selected for the Best of ASMP (American Society of Media Professionals) competition. His fine art work hangs in a number of private and public collections, which he continues to actively exhibit.


You can see John’s portfolio on his website at https://www.johnslemp.com/ And the project itself now has its own fledgling website https://www.wwiibomberboys.com/what-we-do.


Check out a selection of his photography below:


From the collection of the 390th Memorial Museum in Tucson, Arizona

Bob "Punchy" Powell was a P-51 fighter pilot on D-Day, and flew three missions over 16 hours in support of the invasion. He had to be helped from the cockpit at day’s end by his ground crew, as his legs wouldn’t support his weight. Shown wearing a replica jacket, his original is in the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Pooler, Georgia.

BG Charles McGee, an original Tuskegee Airman, flew 409 combat missions in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He passed away on January 16, 2022 at 102 years of age.

This jacket was sent to John from Oakland, California by the son of the original owner.

Join us for the February 10th Club meeting!

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