Some photographers discover their passion behind a camera. Others discover it somewhere between sipping goat milk tea in a Mongolian yurt and sharing a room with a man holding a golden eagle.

​

For me, photography has become much more than taking pictures. It is a passport to adventure, a window into other cultures, a creative escape, and an ongoing journey of discovery. And to think, it all began with a little Instamatic camera!

​

From Family Snapshots to Finding My Focus

I have always enjoyed taking photographs. Family gatherings, pets, birthdays, vacations you name it, I probably have a snapshot of it somewhere. Armed with my little Instamatic camera, I documented life's moments, and some of those early pictures weren't half bad!

​

But somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew there was more to photography. I wanted to create images that were artistic, not simply records of where I had been or what I had seen. The problem was that I had absolutely no idea how to get there.

​

Then came 2019. I was retired, eager to travel, and preparing for my first big adventure to Cuba. About a week before departure, a photographer friend casually suggested that perhaps I should invest in a better camera. What a great idea! Off I went to B&C Camera, where I purchased my first real camera, a Sony mirrorless with a 50mm lens. There was just one minor detail: I had no idea how to use it.​  The camera's enormous menu was a mystery, so I photographed my entire Cuba trip in Auto mode and JPEG. Much to my surprise, the images were pretty good for a complete novice. More importantly, I had a wonderful time taking them. 

​

When I returned home, I immediately enrolled in photography classes at B&C. At the time, I was convinced I wanted to become a landscape photographer. I bought a wide-angle lens and headed off on hiking adventures through the Pacific Northwest and Four Corners region.​  The results? Let's just say there was room for improvement. My post-processing skills were particularly lacking, so I tackled Lightroom the old-fashioned way: working page by page through one of Scott Kelby's books.

​

Then COVID arrived and travel came to a screeching halt. Fortunately, B&C offered Zoom classes, allowing me to continue learning even when the world wasn't going anywhere. By the fall of 2021, I was finally traveling again, visiting Spain, Morocco, and Egypt. Those adventures opened my eyes to something important: there was an entire world of fascinating subjects beyond landscapes.

​​

​

A Passport, a Camera and an Appetite for Adventure

“If you ask me what kind of photographer I am, my answer is simple: I'm a travel photographer.”

​

I love traveling. I love photography. Fortunately, the two make wonderful companions. I am particularly drawn to destinations with cultures, wildlife, and landscapes vastly different from those in the United States. The more remote and culturally unique, the better. When choosing my next destination, I look for two things: adventure and compelling photographic opportunities. A beautiful location is wonderful, but I want to experience something extraordinary and come home with images that tell its story.

​

Three countries have left particularly lasting impressions: Mongolia, Vietnam, and Indonesia.​

​

Mongolia: Eagles at the Tea Table

Spending time with Mongolia's eagle hunters was an unforgettable experience and produced some of my favorite photographs.

​

Imagine sitting inside a traditional yurt, enjoying goat milk tea, while several men casually hold their magnificent eagles around the table.​  At first, I was surprised to see these powerful birds brought indoors. But witnessing that interaction revealed the extraordinary bond between the hunters and their eagles. The combination of magnificent birds, traditional fur clothing, weathered faces, and moody natural light filtering into the yurts created photographic magic.​  It was one of those rare experiences where culture, atmosphere, and photography came together perfectly. And it was tremendous fun!​

​

Vietnam: The Strength and Spirit of Women

Vietnam offered another remarkable opportunity, particularly photographing women from different walks of life.

​

Vietnamese women play significant roles in the workforce, often performing physically demanding jobs. Many continue to wear traditional clothing associated with their ethnic communities, adding wonderful cultural richness to the scenes I encountered. Their strength, character, and everyday lives provided endless photographic inspiration.

​

These are the kinds of images I love creating photographs that go beyond a beautiful subject to reveal something about the people and places I have been fortunate enough to experience.

​

​Indonesia: An Adventure Worth Repeating

Indonesia is a photographer's playground. Every island seems to offer an entirely different world.

​

Orangutans, Komodo dragons, ancient temples, remote villages what's not to love? Indonesia remains high on my return list, especially Sumatra and the wider region, including Papua New Guinea. I am particularly interested in photographing remote ethnic communities and documenting cultural traditions that are becoming increasingly difficult to encounter as the modern world reaches farther into these areas.

​

So Many Places, So Little Time!

My photography bucket list is still rather ambitious.​  China is near the top, although I haven't found quite the right tour yet. I'm less interested in photographing the Great Wall alongside thousands of tourists and more interested in exploring rural China, where everyday life and traditional culture offer the kinds of experiences I seek.​

​

I recognize that I won't be able to maintain my current travel pace forever, so I'm becoming more selective about which adventures come next. But there are still photographs to be made, cultures to experience, and places waiting to surprise me. I'm certainly not ready to put away my passport or my camera!

​

Finding My Photography Community at NCC

For several years, I had considered joining a camera club. I wanted something more meaningful than collecting likes on social media. While compliments are always nice, they don't necessarily help you understand how to improve an image.​I wanted honest, constructive feedback.​

 

After hearing about Nevada Camera Club through acquaintances, I watched several YouTube videos of its electronic competitions. I liked what I saw and heard. Monthly competitions, knowledgeable judges, guest speakers, and recognition for outstanding photography NCC seemed to offer exactly what I was looking for.​

 

Since joining, I have been particularly impressed by the dedication and professionalism of the volunteers who keep everything running. The competitions, website, social media, guest speakers, and countless activities represent an enormous amount of work.​

 

I would love to participate in more club activities beyond the monthly competitions. Unfortunately, there seems to be a recurring scheduling problem: whenever NCC has an event, I'm usually somewhere else in the world with my camera!​

​

My current photography mantra is:  

Slow down. Get low. Work the scene.

​

Competition Jitters, Printing Lessons, & Fewer Duds

Entering my first few NCC competitions was stressful.​​ Which images should I submit? Was the editing finished? Was the mounting, correct? And how was I supposed to narrow thousands of photographs down to just TWO entries each month?​​  Fortunately, the experience has become easier, and I have discovered that some of the most valuable lessons come from listening to judges critique everyone's photographs, not just my own.​​  Do I always agree with the judges? Of course not! But their observations have helped me better understand the qualities that elevate an image from good to outstanding.​

​

​​Print competitions have been another unexpected learning experience.​  Before joining NCC, I had never printed my photographs. When sharing images on Facebook, I could occasionally get away with less-than-perfect editing. A print, however, has a remarkable way of revealing every little mistake!  Initially, I considered skipping print competitions altogether. Looking back, that would have been a huge mistake.​

 

Fortunately, one of my first Beginners Group meetings covered printing and matting. That session gave me the confidence to give it a try, opening an entirely new dimension of photography.​

 

For anyone hesitant about entering competitions, my advice is simple: put your best work out there. You might be pleasantly surprised!​  The first competition is usually the hardest. Listen to the critiques, take away what is useful, and don't become defensive when you disagree. Sometimes the judges are right on target; sometimes you may see things differently.  Don't get discouraged. Don't give up. Keep coming back. Your photography will improve.

​

The Next Chapter: Getting Out of My Comfort Zone

Although travel photography remains my passion, I want to experiment more and challenge myself creatively.

 

Intentional camera movement (ICM), panning, focus stacking, and abstract photography are all on my list of techniques to explore.  Have my previous attempts been successful? Not particularly! But that is part of learning. I need to practice, experiment, make mistakes, and, most importantly, have fun doing it.​

 

The wonderful thing is that none of these techniques requires an airline ticket or a trip halfway around the world. I can practice right here in Las Vegas, even in my own backyard.​

​

Photography Is Better with Friends

If I could offer one piece of advice to someone beginning their photography journey, it would be this: Become friends with other photographers.​

 

Photographers have a wonderful habit of talking about photography whenever they get together. Spend time with them, ask questions, and you'll discover an incredible wealth of knowledge. You can learn about light, camera settings, equipment, post-processing, photographing models, finding great locations, and countless other things you didn't even know you needed to know.​

 

More Than a Photograph

For me, photography is my creative release. I believe everyone has creativity within them, and everyone deserves an outlet for expressing it.​When I am behind the camera or immersed in processing an image, photography completely captures my attention. The everyday clutter in my mind disappears. I become absorbed in the light, the subject, the composition, and the possibilities.It is a wonderful feeling.​

 

What began with an Instamatic camera and a collection of family snapshots has evolved into an extraordinary journey of exploration, friendship, artistic growth, and discovery.​ I have learned that there is always another technique to master, another image to improve, another person to meet, and another fascinating corner of the world to experience.​

​

 

The journey is never really finished. There is always something wonderful waiting just beyond the next frame.

​