How I got started

My passion for photography began during the 1970's. I know I'm dating myself.

In high school (Maury High School), I took several photography classes. Back then, I used a fully manual camera, the Yashika TL Electro. The only "automatic" feature was the built-in lightmeter. Yes, it was "through-the-lens", but it was primitive by today's standards. We used a green ring. An upside down "U" meant over-exposed, and a regular "U" meant under-exposed. If the ring was a circle, the exposure was just right.

High school was boot camp for me. I learned the basic principles of photography--exposure, focus, depth-of-field, composition, and other artistic/ technical concepts. Back then, we shot black and white film and developed it ourselves. We processed negatives and made prints. Even though we worked in a co-ed darkroom, I do not remember any cases of sexual harrassment.

Perhaps I shall expand on these experiences in a later post. For now, I shall fast-forward to the 21st century. I cannot remember dates now, but during the early "00's", I was introduced to portrait photography. I was at a meeting at the Virginia Beach Photography Club (link will appear later). Someone set up a portrait shoot. It was complete with umbrellas and posing stool. I borrowed someone else's camera. I did not even get to keep the images. I only remember that feeling of "wow--I actually captured an image of a model." It was magical. For some reason, these feelings were submerged. It was only last year that I rolled out my business. I had resisted portrait photography because of my love for nature. Ducks and geese do not complain about their portraits. I thought I would enter the niche market of selling fine art. Over time, my fellow photographers "converted me". Thousands of dollars later, I am having the time of my life!