My love for photography originated at a very early age. As a child I would play with the old Browning vintage cameras we had in our home. I was always so spellbound that a box could capture an image to have forever. I would flip through old family photos dating back 100 years or more. I appreciated the colors and the different styles of paper that was used over the years. But the best part was the memories. Moments in time and stories that was shared with me by my parents and grandmothers. It was then that I knew how priceless these memories were to have and to share with family and friends. Images are a life line to our family history, our trips, our birthdays, weddings, and the birth of a new life. I would spend hours on my couch absolutely immersed in looking at National Geographic magazines. I sought to know more information about the images. Because I was taken away by (in my younger thoughts) all the “MAGICAL” and unique wonders we had in our world. Growing up my mother noticed how captivated I was with photography. She was usually the photographer in my house. Snapping pictures of me while I posed in front of the rose bushes or my prized pumpkin patch. I constantly wanted to be photographed and she was always delighted to snap the shots. I REALLY liked all the pictures she would photograph of me and wanted to be able to do the same thing. So it wasn’t long before she bought me my first Polaroid camera. She would upgrade my camera every couple of years from that point on. I have not been able to put one down since. I remember asking my mom one day, why do you always enjoy taking so many pictures of us. She told me that when she was young she did not have many photos taken of her. She explained that she did not want to miss any chance to photograph her children and her life with her family. She told me that photographs are a treasure to have. After her passing in 1998 I dug deep to try and find older images of her before she met my father. Sadly... show more
she was right about not having many photographs of her growing up. But the wonderful part is she had a boat load of portraits of the family she created with my father and my 5 siblings. Because of my family I have a great appreciation for capturing images and sharing them with others. Times may change, Fads will fade, and we grow older and we grow apart. But an image is forever. Photographs secure all the wonderful places, times and moments in our lives.