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As long as I can remember, I've always been fascinated with photography. When I was a kid, I loved playing with the family Polaroid, or taking snapshots with my little 110 Kodak Instamatic (Remember those, with the funky little flash cube? Ever burn your fingers trying to take the cube off too fast? Yeah, me too!).
But it wasn’t until I was 15, when I got my first serious 35mm SLR camera, a Nikomat FTN (That's not a typo. The model I had was never sold in the US, only Japan) that I started looking more intently at the light around me.
Light. Tiny bundles of energy called photons. Waves of electromagnetic energy. Hard to define, easy to fall in love with. And I did, a long time ago.
My first subject of interest was nature. I loved walking through the mountains, taking pictures of flowers, or mushrooms, or the rivers, streams, and waterfalls; early morning fog in the meadows, or fire red clouds at sunset. It was (and still is) a very enticing subject. The natural world has always fascinated me, and photography became my way of trying to preserve at least some of the amazing beauty I saw around me everyday.
I still love photographing the natural world, but in more recent years, I’ve focused more on photographing people, especially children. I find myself intrigued by the forms and emotions that can be captured, whether it’s a subtle glance, or wide-open, full-face laughter, a sultry, sly grin, a distant gaze of one lost in thought, the innocent smile of a child, or the weathered wisdom of an elder.
I am, and will always be, a student, always searching, always learning, always trying new things. While I appreciate the technical skill involved in formal studio portraiture, I tend to shy away from that type of photography. Instead, I try and capture the essence and personality of the person in front of my lens. I work hard to put my subjects at ease so they will relax and feel comfortable during their session. When that is achieved, I am better able to capture a bit of their true essence.
But what is even more fundamental, the one element that I believe is vital to the ultimate successful photo session?
It has to be fun.
Because if it’s not fun, what’s the point?
Now, enough about me. Let's go have some fun making great memories for you and your family.
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