The beginning.

A few weeks before my twenty-seventh birthday, the most amazing man on earth bought me a professional-quality Olympus camera and said, "Go for it, baby." The "it" to which David was referring is my dream of taking quality photographs and being really, really good at it.

When I got married in March of 2005, we paid for the cheapest photographer we could find. I am not even sure where I got this lady's name from, but she worked out of her home and she was cheap. And our photos were... cheap. Don't get me wrong, they were fine as far as wedding pictures go. Pictures of me, pictures of my family together, pictures of Jon, pictures of Jon's family together... Pictures of me with my veil over my face, pictures of me with each bridesmaid... They were fine.


I've always been an artist - painting, drawing, doodling... I am always involved in something creative, as it gives me an outlet from the structure of the world around me. Several years ago I began thinking that I might make some great photographs, and so I started by modeling for local photographers whenever the chance arose. I say "make" because I read in a book once that you shouldn't say "take" a photograph, as if the picture was just floating around in space and you plucked it out. You make a photograph by being proactive and in-charge. You make a photograph by using artistic talent to set up a scene. You make a photograph by displaying your technical knowledge of your camera and what it can do. You do not just take a photograph.

After a few years of being in front of the camera, I started inadvertently bringing up being behind the camera. Being the amazingly observant man that he is, David began picking up on subtle comments and suggested that we invest in a nice, but beginner-appropriate, camera for me. After quite a bit of research and scanning a few stores, I found a great little floor model Olympus E-400 that was a fraction of the regular price because it was missing a lens cap. Heck, I can buy one of those on eBay!

Almost immediately, I got a library card for Davidson County and started scouring the library for books about my new hobby. I got books on everything - technique, mechanics, poses, and landscapes... I also started checking out books on great photographers and famous photographs. I don't want to just click a button on a camera, I want to really create a story and a beautiful photograph. I want to know what makes a good photograph and I want to have the skills to make my own.


This blog will follow me on my journey as I learn new things and progress in this hobby. Will it ever be something that I can generate income from? I hope so. Will I ever be famous for it? Probably not. And that's okay. As an artist, I'm generally more interested in the journey than the destination anyway.