My love for photography began in 1986. I was a junior in high school and I decided to take photography as an elective at school. I learned basic photography and darkroom techniques and continued on to the advanced class my senior year. We dealt exclusively with black and white film, and developed our own negatives and prints. I loved it!
It sparked a passion that will,no doubt, last a lifetime.
I stuck with black and white for many years and built my own darkroom at home in a spare bathroom. I also got into color photography, although I did not process those myself. I worked at Ritz Camera for a little while in the early 90's and got familiar with every camera on the market. I was a starving student at the time so I couldn't afford much in the way of equipment but I did buy myself a Minolta Maxxum 3Xi with a couple of good lenses and filters. I loved that camera! When I got married, I swiped my husband's Canon A1! That camera opened up a whole new world! At this point I was still taking pictures just for fun. In 1996, I was hired to take photos of a stage show in Manhattan. Black and white photos, in lighting less than ideal. It was nearly pitch black! The photos came out surprisingly well and gave me a real confidence boost. My next paying gig was for a music magazine in upstate NY called "Extreme." I took photo's at "Edge Fest" - an annual music festival in Ontario, Canada. It was amazing! I got some great shots of Green Day, The Foo Fighters and about a dozen other rock bands. Plus, I got into the concert for free. Can't beat that!
For the next several years, I traveled a lot- Panama, Australia, Spain, Hawaii, Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, etc. This is when my focus changed from entertainment to travel and nature photography and I have been hooked on it ever since! My specialty is macro photography. I love taking pictures of things that one does not ordinarily notice at first or second glance- the tongue of a bee, the pollen on a hibiscus stamen, the golden-copper swirls in the iris of a rosy boa...these are the things that really capture my interest.
It took me a while to make the transition from 35mm film to digital. I was one of those annoying "purists"- "Digital?!! pffft!" Well, I got over it and I wish I'd done it sooner! I still have a 35mm for my black and white stuff but my main camera now is my new Minolta Maxxum 7D, or as I like to call it- "The Beast"! What can I say about it other than IT ROCKS. Totally. I have Adobe Photoshop CS and I am completely addicted to digital photography, in all it's wondrous forms.
I would love to do free lance travel/nature photography. I moved to the Mojave desert 7 yrs ago and find new and interesting photo worthy things everyday!
I am also exploring a new avenue- forensic photography. I just got my Master's degree in Forensic Science and complete an advanced course in forensic photography, complete with a crime scene photography portfolio. I find it fascinating! It is not like anything I've ever done before. It is a field that is just now making the transition to digital. I recently interviewed for a position as a Forensic Technician, which would give me the opprtunity to learn and master forensic photography. So, I wait, and hope!
