James Roy

James R. Roy, FPSA, PPSA, was originally a Maine resident, car enthusiast, and New Englander, born in Lewiston, Maine in 1945. He visits regularly, but his job (IRS Tax Attorney, 1978-2007) required him to work in the Washington, DC area. He graduated from the University of Maine (B.A. in history, 1968) and the University of Connecticut Law School (J.D., 1973) with service as a Seabee in Viet Nam in between. His photography career began with a Polaroid Swinger shooting autocrosses and rallies for the Hartford Sports Car Club, then Viet Nam and Hong Kong with a better Polaroid in 1969. He advanced to slides with a rangefinder in 1975, SLRS, medium format, and darkroom work in 1979, stereo (3-D) in 1981, and PSA membership in 1983.  This led to 5 stars in Stereo and 3 in Small Print, plus much judging and presentations including “D.C. in 3-D” at D.C. libraries, “Shoot Up Your Eclipse” at Smithsonian Air & Space, others at NECCC Amherst, PSA Conferences, and many club shows. At times he used large format gear up to 8 x 10 (with an 1891 Zeiss Protar lens), and the pile of cameras got to 88 total by 2006, now down to only 28, mostly digital.

As soon as he had enough leave at work, he has attended each PSA Conference from 1989, National Stereoscopic Association gatherings since 1985, and International Stereoscopic Association meetings since 1985. As a National Capital Astronomers volunteer has given about 50 “Star Parties” with his own and other telescopes, including one in 2004 on the roof of the Dirksen Senate Office Building with other NCA members and Smithsonian volunteers, and has shot three total Solar Eclipses as well as transits of Venus and Mercury, plus four comets since Halley in 1981. He was a co-founder of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter in 1997, and was made A.P.S.A. in 1996, F.P.S.A. in 2000, and was on the PSA Honors Committee from 2017-2020.