My first run in with photography was in high school when I took photography and shot for the annual. As a college sophomore, I spend six months studying in Italy. I had decided I did not want to see Europe “through a lens”, so I left my camera behind.

What now is a passion remained largely dormant until my daughter’s wedding 10 years ago. I took pictures of each person who attended the reception in our back yard and found I really liked taking close ups of people.

Since that date, I have taken trips alone to India, Burma, Vietnam, Buenos Aires, London and China. I like architecture, landscape and nature, but I mostly focus on taking pictures of people. My approach is to spend the necessary time to make my subjects feel comfortable and secure their permission to take their picture.

For shots of a person’s face, I often shoot with an 85mm (135mm equivalent), fast lens so I get a facial close up without being physically too close and also leaving the background somewhat out of focus. Until the beginning of 2005, I had resisted a digital camera. I currently use a Canon 20D SLR digital camera.

On the personal side, I retired for the second time in 2005 after 35 years in business. For the last 25 years I was the chief financial officer of several public and private companies, including most recently two public semiconductor companies. I also am an Episcopal priest and I work as a hospice chaplain on a volunteer basis.