I’m literally just getting started.

Photography has always fascinated me as a way to express ideas and emotions, even as a kid. The problem was, I never considered that I had what it took to say something meaningful through a photograph. I was afraid to try making art, and any photography I shot was little more than a clunky way of documenting events around me.

My first real camera was a Pentax ZX-10, a gift from my then girlfriend (now wife of over 22 years). I had no idea what I was doing, so I just loaded cheap 400 film bought at the drug store, set the camera to auto and shot in black and white for “artistic” effect. Eventually, it ended up in a drawer, where it collected dust for years and somehow was broken during a move.

In 2010, after our third kid arrived, I bought a Canon Rebel T1i. Even with a crop sensor, it was (and still is) a great camera, but I was clueless about what all the buttons did. I didn’t realize I was holding a tool that could create art. So, I fiddled with the buttons and once in a while accidentally took a picture worth saving. I’m not going to acknowledge my GoPro Hero 4 era, nor will I admit to pretending to be a good photographer using an iPhone and a slew of Instagram filters.

In January 2025, on a whim, I enrolled in a beginner photography course at the Houston Center for Photography. It was a revelation—suddenly, I heard a new language, saw a fresh perspective, and felt a deeper connection to the world around me. Now, I’m capturing life with a Canon EOS 6D Mark II, paired with a Canon 50mm f/1.4, a Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8, and a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8. Sadly, the old Pentax has bitten the dust, but I’m excited for this new chapter in photography.

I can’t wait to see what happens next.