Hello and welcome. About eight months into my third journey into serious photgraphy, figured I would start to blog about the whole thing so maybe someone else can learn from my mistakes and my successes. (ok- and maybe it will help my SEO a bit as well, but that's just full disclosure and bonus points, right?)
Attempt one was in high school. I read a lot of books on photography and thought it would be neat. My parents, who have always been supportive of my crazy tendencies, saved up and got me a nice SLR for christmas, a Cannon AE-1P. Film camera in those days. My high school had film and television classes, and had a darkroom, so I actually was able to learn how to do my own black & white darkroom work. Never had the resources for color so never did learn that. I was really interested in sports photography, since I also played a few, so my dad, who was a Sergeant on the New Orleans Police Department, used some connections and got me onto the sidelines for a few college games Super Dome. I even got to shoot one Sugar Bowl. (can't remember which one, and Katrina destroyed all the prints and negatives which stayed home when I left) Alas, the experiment was cut short when our house was robbed and the camera gear was stolen.
Attempt two was in college. I saved up for a while and bought myself a Nikon 6006. Still film, this was the mid 1990s and digital was still a novelty. Took some travel pics as I was sent around the world for summer training. Alas, before too much time had passed, my apartment was robbed and once again, the camera gear was stolen. I was a dumb college student, hadn't heard of useful concepts like "renter's insurance." At that point, I sort of decided the universe was giving me the subtle hint that maybe photography wasn't really what I was meant to do with my life.
Fast forward a decade. Many times in the intervening years I thought about giving photography another serious run, never lost my love for it, but also never really had the spare change to drop on a decent camera. Then I found out my girlfriend was pregnant. I was going to be a dad. I still didn't have the money to drop on a serious camera, but I decided if I ever was going to get another one, I would kick my own butt if I didn't do it in time for my son's birth. So I did with a little help from the grandparents (you don't live close, so you're going to want lots of pictures of your first grandson aren't you mom....?) So, new DLSR- this time with insurance, and away I went!
No pictures of the actual birth, sorry, I was a bit pre-occupied at the time, but plenty since, I have a very photogenic son (and girlfriend for that matter) which you will see from time to time. But I don't want to be one of those people who just takes pictures of their kid, and it's hard to shine out from the crowd now that anyone with a digital camera (even me) can call themselves a photographer. So I decided I should focus on something I knew well and loved. Enter my other passion- circus. The past several years I have become a circus artist. Flying trapeze, fabrics, partner acrobatics, fire dancing, stilt walking, all sorts of new things. (actually, I learned to juggle and eat fire back in high school as well, so I guess the past is really catching up to me from multiple angles.) Even met the previously mentioned girlfriend and baby-mama on the flying trapeze. So, instead of posed studio shoots, I am concentrating on performances. Done several shows and festivals so far around San Diego, and lucked into being able to shoot at the San Francisco Burning Man Decompression Party this past year. Learning a bit more each time and getting better. Upgraded to some serious glass, and learning my way around post processing in the digital darkroom.
I enlisted in the Navy right after high school, after a couple of years I got picked up for a NROTC scholarship and have been a Naval Officer ever since college. The past few years have seen some dramatic changes in my life. Found circus, got a long and difficult divorce, found a new girlfriend, became a father, and realized my Naval career was coming to a close. Leading to the question of- what next? I have a few years left before I retire, but it's time to start looking and moving forward. I am hoping photography can be a large part of the answer to the question.
So. Have camera, will travel. You can keep up with my adventures here, and see the results at the new site I put up mostly to mark my commitment to the art-Happy Dragon Photography take a look and tell me what you thing. And take a trip with me- don't worry, I'll bring the camera, and you only have to look at the vacation slide show if you want to click on it. If I do my job right, you will.
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