I Am a Communicator

It may seem a little ironic to call myself a communicator when I’ve never been particularly comfortable telling my own story. But photography has always been how I communicate best. So here goes.

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I grew up wanting to be an astronaut.  Like millions of kids of my generation, I watched the Apollo missions with absolute fascination. What captured my imagination wasn’t simply the idea of going into space—it was the opportunity to see the world from an entirely different perspective.

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Then I took my first algebra class.

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I quickly discovered that mathematics was not exactly “my thing.” Without the math, there would be no engineering degree. Without the engineering degree, there probably wasn’t going to be a seat waiting for me on a spacecraft.

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Fortunately, I found another way to change my perspective.  While living in Holland during eighth grade—my father was serving in the U.S. Air Force—I came across someone carrying a Canon camera fitted with an impressively long lens. I asked if I could look through the viewfinder.

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That moment changed my life.

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For the first time, I realized that a camera could allow me to see the world differently. A lens could isolate a moment, compress distance, change perspective and reveal something the naked eye might otherwise miss.

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Eureka!

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Who needed to sit on top of a rocket filled with highly volatile fuel when I could explore the world through interchangeable lenses?

Learning to See

I began learning photography from fellow enthusiasts at the base photo hobby shop, where cameras, enlargers and darkrooms opened an entirely new world to me.

I learned that light could completely change the emotion of a photograph. I discovered that composition was more than simply placing a subject inside a frame—it was a way of directing the viewer's attention and telling a story.

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And then there was the darkroom.

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Watching an image slowly appear on a blank sheet of photographic paper was magic. Photography could be exciting, frustrating, disappointing and incredibly rewarding—sometimes within the same few minutes.

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Pretty deep stuff for a teenager.  But I was hooked.

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With the encouragement and mentoring of some wonderful people, I spent countless hours photographing, processing film, printing images and, perhaps most importantly, making mistakes. Hundreds of rolls of film later, photography had become far more than a hobby.

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While still in high school, I made the decision that it would become my profession.

A Life Behind the Camera

That decision eventually led me to the United States Navy, where I spent 26 years as a Navy photographer and Photo Officer.

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The camera became my passport to an extraordinary life. Over the course of my military career, I had the opportunity to photograph Presidents, world leaders, military operations, major news events, documentary assignments and intelligence missions. Photography took me around the world and placed me in situations and locations most people will never have the opportunity to experience.

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And yes, I eventually made it to the space program—just from the other side of the lens—including the unforgettable experience of photographing a Space Shuttle launch at Cape Canaveral.

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One of the greatest rewards for any photographer is seeing an image published, displayed or simply appreciated by others. I was fortunate to experience that throughout my Navy career.

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But eventually, as all careers do, that chapter came to an end.

The Story Continued

After retiring from the Navy, I founded Alba Audiovisual, an event-production company providing professional lighting, sound, staging, video projection, video production and photography.

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I like to describe our role this way:  we’re the rock stars behind the rock stars.

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Yet regardless of where my professional life has taken me, photography has remained at the center of it.  For more than four decades, I have carried a camera through countries, military assignments, presidential events, news stories, celebrations and ordinary moments that unexpectedly became extraordinary.

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And I still carry one today.

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Because after all these years, I remain fascinated by what happens when the right subject, the right light and the right moment come together.

Photography allows me to preserve happiness, friendship, beauty, humor, history and the fleeting moments of everyday life that disappear almost as quickly as they arrive.

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That is why I still photograph.

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The equipment has changed. Film has largely given way to digital technology. Darkrooms have become computers. But the reason I pick up a camera has remained remarkably simple:

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I want to see the world from a different angle—and share what I see with others.

I suppose that's why I call myself a communicator.

 

I just happen to communicate with a camera.

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And besides, I still haven't completely given up on NASA.  You never know when they might need a photographer aboard the International Space Station.

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