I have been taking photographs for what feels all my life. I remember my Dad letting me use his Kodak rangefinder when I was 9. I got my own camera I believe when I was 11. In college, I saved and spent enough money to buy my first SLR, a Minolta SR-T101. I loved that camera. Eventually, I would move to medium format, with mama and Rollei kits. Those were beasts, but I carried them up the Na'Pali Coast, to Costa Rican jungles volcanoes, and into the deep Amazon. Something about making images spoke to me, though I wasn't especially good at it. I avoided art classes in college, never received any photo instruction, and stayed away from competitions. And of course, through most of my career, I was working long days and nights, and eventually, I became a solo dad. None of this afforded much time or energy to hone a hobby.
The advent of digital changed how I thought about photography. Having children and accessible images that did not require a lab raised the value of convenience and immediacy. For a while, I did not even own what I would call a serious camera. But eventually, I got back into it, selected Nikon as my platform, though I had previously been primarily a Canon shooter in 35mm film. I made the decision, with Mary's encouragement, to attend a photo workshop led by Gary Hart and Don Smith on Maui. I did this with some trepidation, as I am not much of a people person, and tend to resist coaching. But it was truly a life-changing experience. Gary and Don are superb and delightful instructors. My colleagues were affable, and a pleasure. There is something to be said for being in a car full of photogs when you round the bend, and all 4 of you exclaim at the same time: "Look at the light!".
I learned so much in that first workshop. I signed up for several more thereafter with Gary and Don, and with other photographers as well. With each one, I feel as if I double my knowledge or more. Each one helps me revisit old images and see what was right, and more often, what I did wrong. And I still keep making mistakes, though I am more aware of them now, and more comfortable in addressing them.
The image here one of my favorites from the Maui workshop, not because it's very good, but because off what it reminds me about the place, and how much I have learned since. If I get to go back to Hana, there are things I would do differently, including how I image this prospect. But I feel fortunate to have been there, near the Huli Huli Chicken Shack, when sunset began to assemble. This 30-second image was made with the Nikon D810 and Zeiss Milvus 15mm lens.
