A road very well traveled.
Wow, now that I think back on it to write this I realize that I have been doing photography for over 40 years now. More importantly I realize what a tremendous and beautiful journey it's been. From street shoots to studio shoots, desert to rainforest, oceans to mountain top on 6 continents and 16 countries . . . thus far.
During this journey I have shot with everything from the most basic and crude, a homemade pinhole camera, to an antique Eastman Browning camera built in 1917, "newer" Agfa and Leica cameras from the 50's, Kodak cameras from the 70's and now currently a modern Canon digital built in the 2010's.
I used to buy my film in bulk roll of 100 feet and then create my own 42 exposure rolls. Far more "cost effective". Additionally I developed it myself in the darkroom I built in the cellar. Now I use memory cards and computer software to deliver the final product.
As far back as anyone remembers I had been "borrowing" everyone's camera and doing snapshots. However I started photography as a serious discipline when I was in Junior High School. Back then it was a fully manual Ricoh 35 mm camera. My parents intentionally chose that camera such that I had to learn to use my own eye and brain to get the picture and not rely on the camera to do the work.
That decision has paid off very well. I have learned the skills of recognition and composition in depth. I see things where others don't. After many shoot's people ask me "Where was I when you took that picture?" They are always amazed when I tell them "Standing right next to me".
My eye is trained to see things that others overlook. My body is conditioned to get in to postures and positions needed to take the photos from angles that others don't consider. My emotional body has deep experience in seeing human emotion and natural beauty, and then capture that in the picture.
Because of that I enjoy offering others a glimpse of a different perspective, a chance to connect emotionally and the opportunity to expand themselves spiritually by simply seeing the beauty that exists around them everyday.
Life happens. I don't get in the way of it. I just honor it by taking a picture of it when it happens.