I love to photograph just about anything. I go by the proverb "its not the destination, but the journey". I enjoy the journey of discovery but oftentimes veers off the path to explore the curious. This is a place for me to put down my thoughts and to reminiscence fond memories. Timelines are in reverse order, so you can read my current viewpoints before diving deeper into my biography [actually just a babbling old man].

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2020

Happy 4th of July - The Year of Covid

Almost 4 month of staying home "full time", during which I checked off all the "one of these day I need to do.. list around the house", which did not include any photography.

But thanks to fellow photographer (SFT) and creatives, I will resume my passion and revive Flickr posting as well as continue other visual pursuits.

More tools in the bag: since last Christmas I added a Mavic Mini drone and a GoPro Max[360]. It'll be interesting to see if I can start incorporating cinematography to my work.

BTW: An image of mine received Judges Award from the Annual NM Photographic Art Show (ANMPAS). However, due to Covid, the exhibition was cancelled and it was not hung.

Well wishes to all moving forward from this Pandemic!

--------------------------------------------------------------

2019

Jan-Dec: Discovered Albuquerque Street Meet (ASM) met and expand my contact with local models, makeup artist, dancers, creatives.

My work is 90% based off ASM's collaborations. This year one of my Infra-red image made it on the billboard for the Shade of Grey Photo Exhibition at the State Fair,

D850 and Z 6, with many Nikkor and Sigma lenses acquired - new and used. D810 and D700IR are still used infrequently.

Spend over a year off Flickr and onto InstaGram. Flickr had changed owner and it's future is uncertain.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2018

Continuing my pursuit of becoming "better". At this point better means more technical certainty : eg the camera language-

Yes, I still come home with out of focus, poorly exposed and poorly composed images.

"Better" also means to create something that conveys a deeper meaning.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2017

Jun-Nov: taking a break from photography as I feel I'm loosing the purpose: to have fun.

Gave up the studio space for the new tenant whom I can actually make $ on rent!

Feb: With the help of contacts through ELCC, I challenge myself to step up the quality of my photography, to get more technical certainty and to get more creative vs "visually pleasant".

Not every picture need to be tack-sharp, but it should have meaning, generate emotions, and showing connections.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2016

This is the year I joint the local camera club ELCC. Maybe got a little carried away about turning in assignments and participate in exhibitions. Finding out that I'm a lone wolf. I don't work well with a bunch of photographers in a workshop or on a shoot.

Set up studio equipments that I horde over the last 25 years and now have a temporary studio to do portraits. Thanks to all whom were gracious enough to model for me.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March, 2015

This year's resolution will be: Less browsing through everyone else's work, more doing my own and get it on Flickr!

First big photographic event of the year every year for me is the Chinese Culture Center's New Year performance. Being part of the family to the CCC, I've been attending their annual performance ever since the inception back in 1980's.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

January 01, 2014: l am a procrastinator, so I needed the "new year resolution" to kick off publishing on Flickr online.

I have my good friend Hideyuki Ban to thank for the inspiration. update: 2015, Dr. Ban has continued to evolve, I pick up his work on Long-exposure of stars, cityscapes, and seascapes.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2004-2013 Another 10 years of just keeping my toes wet. . Nevertheless, I thrive on that euphoric feelings when seeing my minds' picture coming together in the viewfinder (now add-" on the post-processing computer screen"). Like an old dog trying to learn new tricks, I've finally accepted the fact of the digital evolution. My digital cameras evolved from Fuji S1, S2, Nikon D70, D200, and now the D700. Thank you Taaja Lea, for guiding me through the film-digital mental block.

As I slowly get back into digital photography, the ego within had to prove to myself (and other nay-sayers around me) that my work can be appreciated by others. In 2012 my photo won First Place at the State Fair contest, then I was invited to exhibit with the professional photographers at their annual exhibition. Took First in another contest at the Bosque del Apache Annual Festival of the Crane.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1994-2004 was the best and worse time of my life. I will leave the details out. It was also the period of the digital camera revolution that I resisted. I kept using film at that time to photography my two beautiful kids growing up.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Graduated in 1988 and started my Chiropractic and Acupuncture practice in Albuquerque. Now I have time to build my practice as well as getting back into photography.

Purchased Hasselblad in 1992 and learned to shoot with the square format. I met and worked with Richard Delgado (RIP 2019), one of four photographers with a Master of Photography in Albuquerque at the time. This was the time I got more involved in studio portraits and wedding photography - using 220 film and manual flash... can you believe we have to "change film" every 24 shots.. !! It was during this time that I won another Grand Price with a trip to Hawaii, all expense paid. A "sandwich" double exposure that by today's standard is child's play.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

College years, 1981-1988 Due to my studies, I didn't have time to further my photography development. Nevertheless, I was able to catch seminars when I had the chance (Dean Collins-RIP, Dennis Reggie, Monte Zucker, etc. ) That was in the 80's. Ended up doing some photojournalism for my college the last years I was there. Nikon F4s - what a great camera!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I started photography back in 1979. Used my dad's Fuji rangefinder to take a photography class with Bill Howe ( just happens to remember his name). Went on and became a yearbook photographer for Sandia High School. In 1980, under the encouragement of Mr. Howe, I entered my first photo contest at the local Zoo. Took first - under 18 category, First place overall in -B&W, and won the Grand Price). Those were the good-ol days of Plus-X, Tri-X., where you never know if you have the shots until the film comes out of the fixer bath....