I've shot weddings and portraits, covered tradeshows and training events, and handled both food and architectural photography. Even with that experience under my belt -- or, perhaps, because of it -- I prefer to shoot what I like, and focus on the photography rather than the payoff.

I've shot in various formats with a number of different bodies and a huge variety of lenses over the last thirty years. Ironically, thanks to the advent of dSLRs and reasonably adequate images from camera phones, the thing that makes me happiest is that I don't need to worry about purchasing darkroom chemicals ever again.

From a digital darkroom standpoint, I do a rough sort of my RAW files with Adobe Bridge, and handle initial categorization, ranking, and editing in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. For images that need more work, I address post-processing tasks with either Adobe Photoshop or Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo.

One of the things I love the most about photography is the hunt to find the perfect shot. I love hiking into the woods, or up along the side of a river, always knowing that there's something magical just waiting to be seen. I may never be an Ansel Adams, but that doesn't mean I can't strive to bring the same stark beauty into my work.

Everyone approaches photography from their own angles. Chioroscuro -- the interplay of light and shadow -- is infinitely intriguing, and it never fails to fascinate me just how much difference a fraction of an inch can make in turning something stunning into something breathtaking. The quality of glass and body you have makes a difference, there's no doubt of that, but it's ultimately the photographer's eye and sense of now that separates the hobbyist from the fanatic.

Sorry; I meant to say "the professional."

For examples of my own fanat ... semi-professionalism, please check out my galleries to the right.

deviantART

JPG Magazine

Flickr