photowriter's Blog

About Me

I am a professional photographer and have worked in this field full time (sometimes more than full time) for the past 13 years. Business was good, and I had numerous, large clients (Home Depot, Real Simple magazine, the State of California, ANTM) and shot about 50 weddings a year for the last 12 years. I began suffering from respiratory problems about 5 years ago. While sick, I still maintained a rigorous schedule for myself and my staff.

Last year I was referred to Stanford Hopsital's ENT clinic. After meeting and being observed by their specialists, I was told that I needed to move from the valley as soon as possible. I was tested and found free of all allergies. They deemed I was allergic to pollutants in the air. I hadn't realized that the air was so polluted in the valley (even after reading that the Lung Association had listed Modesto the most unclean air in the country) until I began to get sick.

I shut down my studio, laid off my employees and moved back home to Butte County. I decided to enroll back at Chico State to finish an English Lit. degree I'd started years ago. I'll graduate in May and will then move to San Francisco to begin a Masters program in Photography.

I have been out of the country dozens of times (most recent trip was last summer to 15 countries on a photo "scavenger hunt.") I lived in Italy for 3 years, 2 as a missionary and then another just for fun. I speak fluent Italian. My Spanish is very good and my French is poor and enables me to order food and ask directions only.

I still shoot often and am working on several personal projects: Forgotten Faces (a project with the homeless) a clown project which has yet to be titled and is still in its conception phase and an American Indian project which deals mostly with life on the new reservations.

I like dogs. I like EVERY food I've ever put in my mouth (yes, I'm a foodie) except sea urchin. It is similar to liquid liver. I like people who are honest and can admit they are wrong. I appreciate opinions but they must be supported with a quality argument - without this they are meaningless words. I used to love an egg mcmuffin and large Coke every morning but I'm trying a new diet out which I hate so those are off limits for a while. I love LIGHT, the light that shines on people and the light that shines from people. I like laughter and enjoy its sound. I appreciate live music and go to concerts regularly. Theater is awesome, especially in Ashland, Oregon. Language is the key to everything so I still study the languages I speak in hopes to be able to learn the secrets to other cultures that can't be found on Google but can be found by listening to an elderly Italian woman teach the lesson of making Genovese pesto.

My Profile

Education

School : California State University Chico
Year : 2011 to 2012
Degree : English Literature

Professional

Job : Photographer
Company : Draper Photography
Industry : Photography
Professional Associations : PPA, WPPI
Volunteer Associations : Salvation Army

Interests

Hobbies : Reading, Writing, TRAVEL, Photography, Graphic Design, Languages, Live Music, Concerts, Theater (Ashland, Oregon)
Movie : Dead Poet's Society, Mr. Holland's Opus, Shawshank Redemption,
TV : Dexter, Breaking Bad
Books : C.S. Lewis The Screwtape Letters