I'm an amateur/casual photographer still looking for my niche. In 2000, at age 16, I got my first camera, a Canon Rebel G 35mm and only a kit lens. I took a darkroom class for one quarter that year and really enjoyed the technical, tactile, and permanent nature of film, but I didn't really find the spark yet. A few years ago, I finally got a decent digital, a Sony Alpha 6000 and the photography spark was ignited. I've spent the last few years learning the technical aspects of composition, metering, and editing, as well as exploring and developing a style. My current focus is black and white, as my biggest role models are people like Henri Cartier-Bresson and others who really capture my favorite aspects of street photography. I recently discovered Alan Schaller and I really love his style. I have a yearning for creativity, but am very left-brained, so photography is the perfect art for me.

When my mother-in-law found out about my photography pursuit, she gave me her mint '79 Nikkormat FTn, complete with several primes, a zoom, and many filters, so I decided to take it upon myself to enhance my art through shooting and developing film, in addition to and complimentary to digital. I develop my bw film at home, but I don't have access to a darkroom for prints. I would love to build that skill more.

I have too many hobbies, so I try to stay on a budget for photography, therefore instead of buying expensive lenses, I've been utilizing the narrow sensor plane of the mirrorless by using old manual primes that fit on my film cameras with an adapter. Currently, the favorite lens of mine is the Minolta Rokkor MD 50mm 1.7. I also really like the Nikon 55mm micro and 28mm 3.5 (though I wish they were faster). For auto lenses, I've been liking the inexpensive Sigma primes, particularly the 19mm and 30mm for the crop sensor of the a6000.