In my second semester senior year at Quinnipiac College (in Hamden, CT), I had one remaining elective to fill, so when Photography was offered, I jumped at it and thought it would be cake. WRONG! It was the most challenging and demanding of any class that I had ever taken in college. My professor, Mr. Carpenter, was a die-hard perfectionist and was truly demanding with his coursework. From presentations to subject assignments, I found most of my time carrying running around campus with my 1979 35mm Pentax, which I had purchased for $75 at a Milford pawn shop.

One assignment in particular focused on things we see everyday, and one morning I walked out of my dorm and found some amazing mushrooms. After seeing those mushroom pictures, the prof told me to stop talking pictures of anything else and focus solely on mushrooms.

I gladly took on the challenge and discovered that the hunt for mushrooms and finding that perfect moment fulfilled my innate nature of HUNTER, not GATHERER.

Now over a decade after my introduction to the world of photography, I'm still in pursuit of mushrooms and have learned quite a bit about mycology, the science of fungus. Who knew that there were others that were fanatical for mushrooms like me. Its a huge cult!

My camera bag is to my back as my watch is to my wrist. My camera has traveled with me all over the world and has captured some pretty amazing things.

The beauty of photography: its a trade that one can never fully master and opens doors to other delights that only a lens can.