About Pete Ansara (aka Captain Shutter)

I’m quite a modest person, but I know that people that come to this page want to know more about me. The Captain Shutter name was borne out of a conversation with my wife. She had a Eureka moment and came up with the name Captain Shutter. I retired as an Air Force Captain and thus Captain Shutter was born.

I got into photography in an unconventional way. As a kid, I had a 126 instamatic and shot lots of film with it. Back then, developing photos was easy. I would walk to a nearby mall named Sears Plaza. In the mall parking lot there was a Fotomat, a drive-through kiosk. Fotomat’s were distinctive for their pyramid-shaped gold-colored roofs and signs with red lettering. The first Fotomat opened in 1965. They sold Kodak-brand film and other photography-related products, and offered one-day photo finishing

In the early 1980s, Fotomat Corporation was acquired by Konishiroku Photo Industry Ltd., also known as Konica Photo Imaging in 1986. Eventually, it was sold to Viewpoint Corporation in 2002.

The company's main product, overnight film development, was rendered noncompetitive by the late 1980s development of the minilab, which provided one-hour photo development and could be installed on-site without a large capital investment. Once overnight service became obsolete, Fotomat's product became online digital imaging, delivered via Fotomat.com, where users could edit and store their images. They ceased operations around 2010.

In 1977, I entered the United States Air Force. My first duty assignment was King Salmon Air Force Station, Alaska. King Salmon Air Force Station was a continental defense radar station constructed to provide the United States Air Force early warning of an attack by the Soviet Union on Alaska. I was assigned there as a Security Policeman where I guarded aircraft armament and F-4 Phantom II jet airplanes on alert. The Russians would fly their “Russian Bear” bombers into our airspace. The General Surveillance Radar system would detect enemy aircraft and the F-4 was scrambled to intercept. I loved the Cold War!

While stationed at King Salmon, I purchased my first 35 mm camera, a Canon AE-1. I learned while being there was a hobby shop on base that housed a dark room. A senior enlisted man ran the lab as a part time position. We became friends and I was introduced to developing and printing photos. This was the start of a serious hobby! Over 40 years later, I remain an engaged photographer.

The Air Force assigned me all over the world for 25 years where I was able to hone my photography craft. I am interested in all genre’s of photography. I like street and landscape photography most. These are fun for me and take different skills to master.

I try to live a stress free life that allows me to focus on what is most important: my family, love and enjoying life. As Robert Adams says, “ No place is boring if you’ve had a good night’s sleep and have a pocket of full unexposed film.” When things are unclear, I focus on making pictures! Taking an image, freezing a moment, reveals how rich reality truly is.

In a nutshell, when you don't find me with a camera I spend as much time with my kids, my grandkids and with my beautiful wife.

Feel free to follow where the world may take me via my Instagram @CaptainShutter.