Years ago, I got my first camera. I'd go out, shoot two or three rolls then drop them in an envelope at the drug store. In a few days they were ready. I'd thumb through them, straining to see something positive. Then, I'd do it all over again. Another roll or two. Trial and error.

Before long, I was picking up gear. A tripod, a lens here and there, filters, a meter, another camera. It's a slippery slope. With each new piece of equipment there were more things to learn, more trials, more errors. It's the mistakes you remember. There were plenty of mistakes. I'd look at the photos, to see what worked and what didn't. I still do. When I'm not behind my camera I'm at my desk studying a recently shot image. What can I tweak? Is it too dark or do the shadows make it what it is? Are the flowers in the right spot or would they look better over there? It's the minutiae that counts.

Eventually, you just have to take a deep breath and jump. It was during one of those early morning sessions at my desk that I thought...why not? I put together a modest collection. Still lifes, architectural shots. The big question is, will total strangers actually be willing to pay for a photo I shot and hang it on their wall? I tell myself, you won't know until you try. So here goes. Like my grandfather always said, "God hates a coward."

rft

February 2026