I grew up wanting to be an artist, but all the aptitude testing I took as a kid indicated I should be an engineer. Such an odd combination, yet it’s just the right fit for a photographer. Photography is the perfect blending of technical (apertures, shutter speeds, focal length and so on) with the creative aspects of composition, lighting & editing.
I decided to study art in college and earned a bachelors degree in painting & drawing from Biola University. But I also learned photography the old fashioned way ~ before cameras had microchips, auto-focus, or rear screens to instantly see your shot. I worked as a freelance photographer from 2003 through 2017, when we relocated from SoCal to Northern CA. Before I began working with clients I taught art, photography (with film), and darkroom developing skills to high school students.
These days I focus on digital photography, but I still keep some film cameras around just for the pure pleasure of using them. I still work as an editor for Applied Photography, and work on my own photography for the pure pleasure of it.