Dianna is a marine biologist, environmental engineer, registered professional engineer, and entrepreneur.  She has studied Mandarin extensively, and read every book possible concerning economics and the stock market.  Along the way, she aspired to be a dolphin trainer, race car driver, lawyer, politician, and astronaut.

Dianna has just retired from the US Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer.  She held diplomatic positions in Khartoum, Munich, Baghdad, Washington, DC and Middle East.  She is fluent in German and has studied Arabic.

Dianna is my wife, mother of our children, and “super grandma”.  She is also my best friend.

Dianna’s favorite pastime is hiking the Bavarian Alps which nearly encircle Garmisch-Partenkirchen.  When not hiking, she will be biking to the not-so-nearby picturesque villages of Eschenloe, Mittanwald, and Murnau, or skiing the nearby slopes of Alpspitz and Zugspitz.

Dianna began studying photography in Washington, DC where she took several classes over a two-year period.  She tolerates landscape photography (a bone she throws in my direction), but her real passion is handheld photography.

Dianna shoots with a Canon 5D Mk II.  Her lenses include EF 24-70mm f/2.8, EF 70-200mm f/2.8, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6, and EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro.  She uses Lee ND, GND, and polarizer filters, and a 190CXPRO4 carbon-fiber Manfrotto tripod with 410 Jr geared head.

When weight is an issue, Dianna shoots with Panasonic gear.  This includes a Lumix GX7 body, with 12-35mm f/2.8, 35-100mm f/2.8, and 100-300mm f/4.0-5.6 lenses.  She uses Lee Seven5 ND, GND, and polarizer filters, and a MT057C4-G 057 Manfrotto tripod with 460MG 3D head.

John Chianis
August, 2016