A few years ago I stumbled across a photo of me at the age of two standing by my father's small tomato garden.  I was holding a red and blue Fisher Price camera.  It was 1981 and it didn't take any actual photos, but looking back, it may have been a mere coincidence or an indication of what was to come...

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At the age of 19 I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (G.A.D.) and panic attacks.  Therapy and medication helped address the causes and triggers as well as managing the symptoms. Although on occasion I still felt uncomfortable in my own skin.  Around that time I started toying with a now primitive digital camera I had bought my parents as a Christmas gift that had sat in the box unused since they separated.  In 2001, I took a photo of our cat Felix and although it was slightly out of focus, dark and became pixelated and grainy due my very first stab at editing... it didn't look like every other cat photo I'd seen.  It was unique and a bit artistic.  From that moment on I started looking at everything differently, from all angles, paying more attention to the world around me and with a renewed sense of purpose.

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When I realized that I could capture images of things most people take for granted, or moments in time, that like everything else in life are only temporary, I found what was missing and discovered a whole new form of therapy. Therapy that also provided a sense of accomplishment and finally gave a glimpse of what my calling might be. 

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Over ten years and 10,000+ clicks of the shutter later...