I've been an amateur photographer since I was a teenager in the 1970's. In my early photography years, I was actually a photojournalist for the local daily newspaper, high school and college newspapers and yearbooks, as well as weddings and events.

I've spent the last 30 years or so "un-learning" the basics I was originally taught. These basics were to just get a good-enough picture to print. During that time, I pined to turn out artistic prints, but just didn't know how to. After a few photography courses, a long lay-off period of just snapshots, and finally a big ol' kick in the butt, I started fresh.

Photography is now my main hobby, which is both a companion and antithesis to my day job - an audio engineer. Both are very creative and use "colors." But with photography, there's no pressure. I'm not being paid to realize someone else's vision.

I'm also a camera collector. I don't have a specialty, other than trying to collect "user" cameras. There are quite a number of them that have required me to repair them in order for them to work. This has led to some real learning experiences (read "failures"), but I am now not afraid to jump right in to tearing the top off a German camera. Except for the occasional spring that flies off to the other side of the room, I've been quite successful lately.

My photography blog:

kestersonn.wordpress.com/