ISU Country Representative to Switzerland

Stephen O'Neil

I was born in Gosport, England on the 20th June 1957 and grew up in Sevenoaks, Kent, later in Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire. I left school in 1973 and started an apprenticeship as chef (a cook, to those of you who understand chef to be a boss!). I qualified in 1976. In 1979, I went off to Switzerland to further my work experience. I enjoyed life in Switzerland so much, apart from 2 years in Norway, 6 months in Germany (then West Germany) and 6 months in London, I kept coming back to Switzerland and have stayed here ever since.

In 1986, I met my future wife Glenys at meetings of the Zurich Scottish Country Dancing Group. We married in 1987. In 1988, we moved from Zurich to Ottenbach. I also changed my occupation to Computer Operator. Through Glenys, I got to know Judy Fentress, living then in Switzerland. At their "leaving Switzerland " party in the autumn of 1991, I had my first look at stereo slides in a handviewer. Wow! I was fascinated. I thought then, thats for me! We arranged to see the Fentresses again the following spring (in New Zealand, their autumn). In March 1992, we went as arranged to NZ, the first stop was the Fentresses, near Hamilton. Two weeks before, I bought myself a 3.5 Realist. I tried out one film before we went and took it with us. It had been developed and was ready to be mounted. After just 3 days of stereo fieldtrips and late nights learning the ins and outs of stereo photography and slide-mounting, I was on my own. Until out trip to NZ, the only experience I had of photography was mono prints. Slide photography and in stereo at that was a completely new experience for me. Many, many thanks to Judy for all her hard work and patience in showing me what it takes to be a good stereo photographer.

In June 1992, I joined the Swiss Society for Stereoscopy. The Zurich group usually meet on the 3rd Thursday of each month. I also joined the ISU.

The following October, I took delivery of the RBT projector I had ordered 6 weeks before. I was on the way, bitten by the bug!! In March 1993, I took over as the Swiss club/country rep. to the ISU. I also volunteered to join the committee of the SSS at our March AGM. I was duly elected. My first chance to see 3d at an international niveau was at the ISU Congress in Eastbourne. I also showed my very first audio-visual show "Die Zeitmaschine" there. I had used my RBT projector, plus a borrowed tape-deck and pulse unit to put together a show. All this had happened in just 18 months. Judy Fentress has a lot to answer for!!

Since then Ive progressed to using 2 RBT projectors, a Tascam 4-track tape-deck and a Baessgen pulse unit.

I've tried various forms of 3d - computer graphics (using Coreldraw), over/under prints (ViewMagic system), stereogrammes, infrared slides and lenticular prints to name just a few. My photographic equipment is comprised of: an RBT S1 (Hexar) camera, twin Canon EOS 500s, a Nimslo and a converted Nimslo ( 24x36mm, by Sami Buehlmann).

I regularly enter slides in international stereo exhibitions. I've already won several awards and quite a few acceptances. My audio-visual shows have been shown at international meetings including the German 3-D Image Day in Neu Isenburg and ISU congresses.

In August 1995, I changed occupations once again. I now work in a photo shop in Affoltern am Albis, just 5 minutes from home.

Since March 1996, I am now president of the Swiss Society for Stereoscopy. I still am a regular member at the Zurich group meetings, details of which will appear in a future issue of Stereoscopy. I am also editor of our club homepage, the homepage address should be on the inside of the back cover under my name. Other hobbies include Model Railways and Genealogy, although stereoscopy has taken over as hobby No.1.

via E-mail from: Stephen O'Neil