I was born in New York City to Ecuadorian parents who moved there to make a better life for themselves. I studied there and got my B.A. in 1987. I came to Ecuador in 1989 and have lived here ever since. I've been teaching English at a major university in Quito for the last 11 years and all together I've taught English for 20 years. I'm happily divorced (ex-wife = excess baggage!) and have a beautiful 12-year-old daughter, Nicole. I'm happy in Ecuador but I do miss my hometown, my friends, going to Yankee games and the comforts of American life. I'd love to take my daughter there to show her all the sights and take her to a Yankee game.

I enjoy listening to classic rock music (Stones, Beatles, Who, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Doors, etc.), as well as blues & jazz. I love to watch movies, cartoons, Yankees, Dolphins and Celtics games (yeah, I know, how does a native New Yorker like a Miami and Boston team?)

I started to get into photography when I was about 10 years old. I had a 126 and then a 110 camera and took shots from the observation deck of the World Trade Center (R.I.P.) and also in Washington, D.C. I really liked the results and started to take more and more photos. People told me they were really good, especially considering my age.

When I was in my late teens I bought a Canon A-1 (film) camera and took photos like mad. After a lull in my picture-taking, I got into the hobby again once my daughter Nicole was born and I haven't stopped taking photos since. The only change was the following:

I had been using a Canon A-1 film camera with Canon 50mm f/1.4, 28mm f/2.8 and 70-210mm f/4 lenses, until I bought the following:

Canon Digital Rebel XTi

Canon 20D

Canon 50D

Canon 5D Mark II

Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens

Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens

Canon 17-40mm f/4 lens

Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens

Canon 75-300mm f/4-5.6 lens

Canon 70-200mm f/4 lens

Canon 100-400mm f/4-5.6 lens

Cosina 19-35mm f/3.5-4.5 lens

Carl Zeiss Planar T 50mm f/1.4 lens

Canon 430EX flash

Sunpak PZ-42X flash

Vanguard VT-950 tripod

Bogen/Manfrotto monopod

Cokin graduated, polarizing filter collection

Hoya closeup, star, diffuser, color filter collection

Fotga closeup filter set

I especially like to take landscape, sunset and long-exposure night photography. My weakness I think is in people photography. It's hard for me to go up to a stranger and ask to take his/her picture. Thank God for long lenses!

I would like to thank my very good friend Ernesto (check his photostream at ernestojunsantos) for getting me into digital photography and software (I had previously been a purist, except for the occasional filter on the camera). I always try to improve my photography by reading magazines, looking at other flickr members' shots and taking photos with Ernesto. I hope you enjoy my photostream and comment (both positive and negative) on it as well because no one is perfect and we can all learn from each other. Thank you.

By the way, I'm on Facebook under "Dave Leon" or my alternate email address, daveleon65@gmail.com , if you'd like to be friends and/or chat.

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This is for you, Dad...I really miss you!

And, I am sad to say, for myself as well.

But I have recovered and am cancer free now.