Let me tell you my story as a Professional Photographer. I was born on the 4th of July in 1962. My mom for 9 months said, “Give me anything but a redheaded little boy.” Well, guess what she got??? Hahaha, yep, a redheaded little boy.
How did you start down the road to being a Professional Photographer?
It’s kinda interesting how it all started. I was eating breakfast like I did every morning before school. I was 8 years old and that particular day, on the menu was Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. On the back of the box was an offer for a Kodak Instamatic 126 Cartridge Camera. All I had to do was save up a bunch of box tops and they would send me a camera.
So I told my mom to keep buying this cereal, and she did. Not long after I got my camera. I took pictures of everything. My sister, the baby next door, our cars, the house (funny, I was taking pictures like a professional photographer, I was doing senior pictures, baby pictures, commercial pictures, and real estate pictures way back then!), etc. I loved it!!!! I was having so much fun. But I kept asking myself, WHY do they have a hole that you look through and a hole that takes the picture? Seems that they could make a camera better than that.
What happened next?
Several years later a man working for my father showed me an SLR Minolta Camera. SLR means “Single Lens Reflex”. That means there is only one hole on the front of the camera. The same hole that you look through is the same hole that takes the picture. For me as a very young teenager, it was as if I had seen a sign from heaven!!! I wanted a camera like that. So I got a paper route and started saving my money. It took me 6 months of saving to get enough to buy a Minolta SRT 201 with a 50mm 1.8 lens. I bought it from JCPenney.
It wasn’t long before a friend of mine asked me to do his wedding. I was only 15 years old, I only charged him $100, and I remember vividly at the reception thinking that it took me 6 months to make $200 throwing news papers, but it only took me a few hours to make $100. What I remember telling myself, I want to be a professional photographer! THIS is what I want to do for a living! And that is how it all got started.
Why do you do what you do?
Because I just love it! It is a fact, I love seeing people react to seeing a really professional portrait. I love helping business make more money because of a professional image that sells their produces or services. If you have a family, I love seeing moms and dads cry when they see that little newborn baby picture. I love helping real estate agents sell house with professional photography. You could say, I am extremely passionate about the art of what I do.
It’s a guarantee, I will die with a camera in my hand. I know it…..and I know I will be off somewhere taking pictures from a wheel chair or hospital bed….that is what I love to do and that is what I will do no matter what!! And you can see that passion in a photograph. Check out other photographers, you can tell if it’s JUST BUSINESS, or if it’s something they LOVE!!! You can see it…..and then ask, who do I want taking my pictures?
Do you ever stop learning?
In a word, NO! As a professional photographer you never stop learning. There is always a new angle, new idea, new light theory, new style. Just like seasons changes, so does professional photography.
I attend dozens of classes during the course of a year. I feel there is something we can learn from anyone so I am all ears when the subject is photography. In addition to that, I have learned that “Teaching” professional photography is the best way to insure that it is something that is really nailed down. If you can teach someone about Sutter Speeds, F Stops, Posing Theory, Lighting Theory, etc. then you REALLY have to know how to do it.
Believe it or not, I have literally been around the world teaching photography,. I have been all over the USA, almost every state organization has had me teach their photographers my art and style.
If you would like to learn more about my classes, give us a call: 985-851-4314
Also check out my education web site: Pro4uM.com
What is a sample of your greatest image ever?
This is it, the title is “The Hands Of Time”.
This image is my 90 year old Grand Mother and my little new born daughter Scarlett. I did the image way back in the “Film” days, and I won so many image competitions I stopped counting. A funny and craziest stories about this image is that it was stolen out of the Kodak EPCOT exhibit in Disney World, Orlando Florida. Because the image won so many awards, it was entered into that exhibit. One day I get a phone call that told me that it was stolen from the exhibit. I asked, how many images were stolen? They told me only one, only this image. My response was, “Wow, what an honor!, they could have taken any one of the images in the exhibit, I figure they took the BEST ONE!” Isn’t that funny!!!!
What is your professional photographer contact information?
Studio Phone: 985-851-4314
Text Number: 985-688-2100
Website: For more info about our services