My interest in photography started in high school.  The career paths at that time included wife, secretary, nurse or nun – although they are all respectable positions they did not really interest me.  I elected to start learning about photography from Cary Wasserman at his studio in south station (Boston) my junior year of high school. 

My interest led to passion. 

I earned my BFA in Photography at the University of Southern Maine.  Rose Marasco and Jerry Dewaters were my teachers.  My experience at the University included lab technician in all related photography courses.  Tony Ray Jones was influential in my decision for an intensive independent study at Whitelands College, Roehampton Institute in London, England.   His humor and composition inspired my own vision.

Growing up in Charlestown was an experience that confused me for many years.  It was a photographic journey that helped me to identify my feelings, good and bad, about my home town.  After documenting for many years, I had a solo show at Boston City Hall.  It was a newly opened facility and not yet an accepted “gallery” space.  It was perfect for my show for many reasons.  At the opening reception many folks from Charlestown came to see what was going on.  It was a great mix of art folks, photo folks and plain ole townies. As far as I was concerned, it was successful and I was still a townie.

Showing photography in a nontraditional gallery space is something that I have repeated in Portland, Maine and England.  I enjoy incorporating a body of work with the environment it came from.  Additionally, I have spent many summers and one full year at The Maine Photographic Workshops as a student and assistant teacher.  I studied photography with Craig Stevens, Eugene Richards, and Paul Caponigro.  I also studied and worked with Ruth Bernhard. The cinematography workshops that I assisted include Steadicam with Garret Brown and Ted Churchill, the Directing Workshop, Corporate Video Production and three sessions of Assistant Directing and Production Management with Tom Kane. 

All in all my experience assistant teaching, skill training and life learning in Maine was amazing. 

It all influences not only what I see but the person I have become and the path I have chosen.