I've been interested in photography and in the artistic expression of the world around us all of my adult life. I am guessing genetics may have played a part with aunts and uncles on my maternal side who painted as a hobby and a penchant for exacting technical details that came from my paternal side where my father and grandfather were trained as tool and die makers.
Earning a BA in Art History from Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey gave me an appreciation for the history and cultural influences of art and architecture.
My first camera was an Instamatic which sparked an interest with the results I coaxed out of it. I borrowed a slightly dented Richoflex twin lens reflex camera from my father-in-law to record a trip to Europe in 1969 with my wife. Taking advantage of PX prices while in the service of our country provided an opportunity to purchase a Yashica, my first 35mm SLR. Starting a career in IT, a meager budget meant shopping for bargain prices on a variety of lenses and other equipment. My brother-in-law’s cast off enlarger was great fun to use in our small apartment bathroom that doubled as a darkroom. I truly loved the Pentax ME Super SLR that survived many a trip, and much abuse, but served up great images. The dawn of the digital age has meant newer and more sophisticated cameras and mastering the software used for post-processing.
Up until recently, my time has been occupied with family (wife Betty, 2 children and 3 grandkids), career, and other things that often take precedence over one's hobbies. The freedom of retirement is starting to allow me to spend much more time on this passion, including joining the Charter Oak Photographic Society in West Hartford, CT, going on photo tours, learning from experts, engaging in my own photo shoots and venturing into the arts and crafts show space.
Favorite photo genres are nature, landscapes, macro-photography, architecture, lighthouses, interesting compositions and patterns found in nature.
