I started practice in Midland in 1977.  Shortly after I did, I bought a kit to do intraoral photography that had a Pentax SLR camera in it.  I'd never used one, so I figured I'd better shoot a lot with it so I'd have some idea of what I was doing.  That meant I needed to take it outside the office.  After a while, it seemed that it was a good diversion from the stress of my office, and I'd always been somewhat interested in photography  anyway. 

 

I started doing it seriously in 1992, when I signed up for the night photography class out at Midland College.  Since then, I've been taking courses continually at the college.  It seems that even now, my main subject areas are things other than people, since I originally started that way as an escape from the office.  Now, when I'm asked what I like to photograph, I say "anything but people."  I'm also somewhat resistant to digital, although it's become one of those things that is a necessary evil because of the things it can do that nothing else can.  My serious work will continue to be with film and paper, however.  I've converted one of the bedrooms in my house into a darkroom, so I can do my own things whenever the mood strikes. 

 

My interest is mainly in what are now called Alternative Processes, which are essentially old processes that have been rediscovered and revived in the last 20 or so years.  Many of these processes involve mixing your own chemicals and coating your own paper for printing, so my chemistry from school has come in very handy.  Since interest in these old processes has increased worldwide in recent years, it has become much easier to find the chemicals and equipment necessary to use them.  Photography seems to have returned to being a home kitchen project somewhat, much like it was in its early days.  Many people regard all this as a hassle, but it seems to me to be somewhat of a bug that some of us catch.  I hope to get to do this old stuff for a long time to come.