About

My interest in photography beyond simple snapshots began while I was in Junior High School. This passion began when an older cousin living nearby began taking photography courses. She would come home from class and share what she had learned. I learned a bout depth of field, shutter speed, composition techniques and many other skills. She eventually taught me how to develop black & white film and I was hooked.

When I went off to college in pursuit of a ‘real job’, photography took a back seat to studying, work and my new DJ hobby. I soon became a bartender and also started picking up paying gigs as a DJ. I have been working in the service industry in some capacity ever since. Bartender, nightclub manager, banquet manager and DJ are among the positions I have held. As a DJ I was known for playing ‘what people wanted to hear’.

About ten years ago I decided to go to college. I wanted to ease back into it so I decided to take just two classes, a computer class and a video / film class. The film class was a lot of fun and I learned much more than I expected to. However, the most important thing I learned was that I really missed photography. After digging my old Nikon SLR out of a closet and taking some pictures I decided to upgrade to modern SLR.

I picked up a used Nikon F-70 on E-Bay and began shooting with a renewed passion. I photographed everything from squirrels in my backyard to Sprint car auto racing. I did more than just snap off pictures, I studied different techniques experimenting with lighting, depth of field and special effects such as panning and long exposure low light photography. The only limit to my shooting was the cost of film and developing. I calculated that a roll of film with developing cost $20.00.

I had put together a nice collection of Nikon lenses and other camera gear when Nikon introduced their first digital SLR under $1000.00, the D-70 (priced at $999.00). I saved up and added the D-70 to my kit. My F-100 film SLR has been collecting dust ever since. My skills began to improve at a much faster pace to the point where family and friends were regularly asking me to photograph them.

After a change in jobs a few years ago I made the decision to take my photography to the next level and go pro. Working as DJ and bartender gives me a unique approach that few other photographers have. I love what I do and I love to be giving people something they can cherish the rest of their lives.