The bug still lives...back in photography mode (Jeffs' fault). Winter, for some reason always inspires me to get back into the camera groove. Well I'm back and hope to be uploading more and new works.

I consider myself to have been blessed to have grown up in Gloucester MA on Cape Ann where incredible photo opps were abound in a time when 35mm photography was very popular. Inspiration was constant and limitless. Looking back, my biggest inspiration came from my uncle Paul Frontiero, a very accomplished and renowned oil painter from the area and former fisherman, who gave it all up and painted the views and memoirs of life on the sea (www.google.com/search?q=paul+frontiero+painter&tbm=is...). Additionally my grandmother lived on Rocky Neck and I would love going into the many art galleries in the picturesque neighborhood when we were over visiting "Nana". It is still a thriving art colony on Cape Ann.

Not being gifted with a brush or pencil, as a youth I went out to try and make the pictures that Uncle Paul painted on canvas, with my camera. In the early 90s I won a couple of local photo contests, one of which appeared on the cover of a local newspaper supplement called Cape Ann Summer Sun. It was my "15 minutes of fame" and basked in the glory of all of the local compliments around town.

Taking pictures of my children took over soon after and dominated the photography budget, while the artsy and fun element took the back seat, with an occasional "winner shot" happening here and there.

It all started around 1967 when Santa brought me a Polaroid "Big Swinger" b&w camera (fragment.biz/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/bigswinger2.jpg) when I was 10 yrs old. Later in high school I took as an alternative to a traditional English class(you could do that in the 70s), a photography and film class and that is where the beast took hold. Went out and bought a used, like new Minolta SRT101 35mm with a 1.4 lens for short money and had a blast. For no good (regrettable) reason ended up selling it and buying a Nikon EM. Eventually got tired of lack of control and sold it and bought another Minolta; X570 with a few extra lenses. That took me through the 80s for the most part and my son, Jeff took that one over with a strong photographic interest in high school.

Then came my first digital (while kicking,clawing, whining and screaming ), Canon's powershot A60 1.3MP. WOW was that cool..no lines, no waiting...great results! I was hooked, sort of. Soon after I picked up a Canon Rebel Ti 35-80mm, film camera for daughter Angela's wedding(old school thinking that I needed 35mm film to take real pictures for important events). But then came the wake up call..it cost money to buy and develop film!!! Bye now... in a box in the closet.

New Age Nirvana...along comes my Pentax ist dl with 2 lenses, 18-55 & 70-200. Looked like a 35, felt like a 35, incredible results, and still..no lines no waiting(buying and developing film). Jeff went on to U of Hartford, majored in photography, and bye bye went my Pentax. Next came a brief stint with a canon powershot sx20(had to return because defective) and opted for a Lumix FZ100 enamored by a 26X optical Leica lens. Very cool camera...but now started OCDing about a larger digital sensor...20 minutes on Craigslist and soo long Lumix. While shooting with the Lumix, my son Jeff talked me into an iphone(still kicking and screaming resisting change), and I discovered a cool little Digital camera...the likes of which work great for handy family shots, but now I'm never without a camera in tow. Cool deal, however not a real camera in the sense of my experience,and its now winter again.

At one point I was in a Best Buy and stumbled upon a Canon G10 and thought wow, this looks and feels like an old rangefinder with a real retro look from "the day"! I rechecked them out and discovered Canon's G1X with a 1.5 inch sensor and read great things about them. There short comings were of no importance to me as I love the beefier feel, and weight of a heavier steel chassy workhorse for primarily landscape shooting. I realize smaller compacts are the rage, but I feel like a crab clawing and pinching about on the controls of smaller cameras. Economics being what they are, an advanced DSLR not being in the cards presently found me on ebay, the consummate bargain hunter once again on the hunt. I found a great bundle whose arrival I am still awaiting at the time of this writing. The new chapter will soon be underway (if I can keep Jeff away, lol) and I will update with thoughts and uploads .

I'm really enjoying all of your fine work and reading your commentaries on this site. It is very informative, relaxing, and inspiring. Thank you all for that, and never stop. Godspeed...Tom