20 years ago I went on a year-long backpacking trip. I knew nothing about photography but I brought a Panasonic point and shoot. I took thousands of photos and when I got home to review them, they were all terrible. I mean really bad.

So, the most logical thing to me at the time was to buy a better camera. So I did some research and bought a canon dslr … T3i I believe. I went travelling again and took hundreds of photos and came back to review and… they all sucked. How the fak do you make a good picture?

Then I actually started learning … obsessively for a number of years, and have been a student ever since.

Helping my grandpa in his darkroom when I was a kid, then some amazing classes in high school, my dad letting me borrow his Nikon, natural inclination to document and create art. Lifelong passion for sure.

For me, it was a Polaroid, and the fact I absolutely hated to be in the photo.

The pandemic had just hit, I had just moved to a new and very picturesque city, I couldn’t meet any new people and there was nothing to do … so I bought a camera to have something to do while walking around alone.

When they began lifting restrictions and cultural events began popping up again, I started exploring them with my camera. I got lucky, and now I’m a working pro.

Mostly due to my horrible job. It’s soul crushing, but it put foods on the table and support my family. However, what brings me joy is see photos (ie. vacations, family/friends gatherings, or just a random hike, etc).

So I decide to buy a old DSLR (Canon T2i) and was hooked.

I was casually taking photos since I was a kid, but it all started to catch others’ eye and they recognized me as a “bro got a unique taste” type of photographer, was when I was depressed. I don’t know why, but that was the time I got into photography and somehow it started to thrive.

My parents bought me a Sears KSX1000 35MM film camera after finishing USAF basic training in 1986. I had no idea what I was doing and maybe caught one good image for every roll of film I used. Digital cameras, the iPhone and the ability to see my work immediately changed my game tremendously.

I needed a creative outlet. I don’t have the hand coordination to be a musician or painter or sculptor. Nor the voice to sing. But I have a good eye, I think. And I am a bit analytical. So I like the math and the gadgetry, but especially thinking through what a composition will look like to the camera. And I can press buttons and turn dials like a mf’r to get what’s in my mind out. That got me.

As a teen, I was always visually intrigued by some photos. I actually still have a photo of teen me in my room and on my wall there’s newspaper and magazine cutouts of sports photos: Shaquille O Neal landing on his head in a game. A shot of the back of Don Kings head, hair taking up most of the image. A picture of Cal Ripken Jr. in the On-Deck circle at Candem Yards the day he broke the Most Games Played In A row streak, with the new record number in the distance. A disheveled and sad Mitch Williams walking off the pitchers mound after giving up a World Series clinching home run to Joe Carter, a blurry Carter seen in the background celebrating.

Something about visual storytelling captivated me as a kid. It’s a regret I have that I never even considered photography as a profession when I was younger. Just seemed like something so out of reach!!

BUT today I wander the streets and metal shows, capturing moments that catch my eye.

I like to travel a lot to different city. So I like to capture what I’m seeing there, started with just my iPhone and would say I hit the Ceeling what’s possible with a smartphone + basic editing in you iCloud picture app. So i switched this year to the old 1300D from my sister and trying to develop this street and travel photography even further

Years before I even got a camera, I told an old roommate I wanted to make paintings of real life. Now I do that. It’s rewarding but it’s the surprise of it all. I never know what shots I’m gonna walk away with walking into it. I stumble upon it, if you will. Shooting from the hip. It’s sporadic and fun and exilerating. I’ve built a brand upon it now. I got so much more work to do, I got about 10 years of work in front of me right now, I’m trying to chip away at, and trying to figure out how to pay for all the things to make those future projects I got stored in my head.

To prove to myself that I am better at photography than my ex is. So I enrolled in my high school’s photography class. The teacher had us shoot in film. It helped me stop and think. I had to picture what the photo would look like so I don’t waste this roll of film. This just gave me a release. Know I am looking for a digital camera to shoot with.

I couldn’t understand what my brain was doing when I went on walks. I hated those walks.

9 years ago I took my son on a trip to Scotland and started taking snaps. I was surprised to find I didn’t mind trailing him around with a camera.

Turns out that on those walks my mind had been computing angles and compositions.

In very late diagnosed with ADHD and possibly undiagnosed autism.

Since starting I was a finalist in photographer of the year, have been published, have images in my country’s national photographic archive but in the last year or so I gave up walking/photographing.

This post makes me think it’s time to get the camera out again. Photography occupies and calms my busy mind. Landscape photography bores me now - too much layering and manipulation. I like abstraction and high contrast, still life and street photography of unusual moments in cities. Shame I live very remote overlooking the Atlantic.

my Brother

his friend wanted him to take a summer photo class in H.S… so they signed up…but the class needed three new more students…so he talked me into going too…

43 years and tens of thousands of dollars later…thanks Rick…

ADHD, I think.