I am a photographer in the Raleigh, NC area.
To me a photograph captures the emotion from a specific moment in time. Some people may say a picture is worth a thousand words, however i think a real photo should take your breath away. it's that moment you look at a photo and it gives you goosebumps. That is a real photo, that's when you know you've done a good job. when that is accomplished, that's when you become a photographer.
My influences are Annie Leibovitz and Pete Souza.