I guess I could say that it originated back in High School. My Senior year I took a career assesment test and the result came back that I should study architecture. That result was so strange to me. Although I was headed to college, studying architecture was not on the agenda. Over the years there were hints of things to come. I was fascinated by a course I took on Greek and Roman architecture my Freshman year. (earned an A by the way) Over the next 20 years, there were more signs as I traveled throughout the United States, Europe and Asia for business and vacation. The photos I took more often were a capture of a structure or landscape than of me in different situations. I was fascinated by the places I would stay and visit. I had never heard the term Hotel Photographer or Architectural Photographer, but in effect that was what I was doing…..albeit at an novice level.
Over the next twenty years, I played around with photography. First with film cameras and then the most basic of digital point and shoot cameras. The first point and shoots were expensive, but a great way to learn and make mistakes taking photos.

For 15 years I lived on the West Coast, mostly in Portland, Oregon, a few years in Califorina. The West Coast is an oudoor playground, a literal tapestry of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet. My interest grew. I purchased my first digital DSLR on Ebay and started carrying it around on hikes and weeklong treks.

I worked for a computer company and had to do a product shoot in a professional Photographers studio. I was captivated by the process, environment and creativity. In the back of my mind I started to wonder, how can I do this, how does one become a professional Photographer? This question would be stuck in my conscious for many years. I took a couple of beginner photography classes. Searched colleges for degrees that seemed relevant and worthwhile, certaintly nothing offering a Architectural Photography degree. Life went on while I continued to search for the answer.
A move from the West Coast to the East Coast to take a job with a new company was supposed to be an advancement in my career. Instead, the opposite happened. That new job lasted 10 months and when it ended I was burnt out from that industry and determined to change direction.

Becoming a Photographer now moved from the back to the front of my mind, but the question remained…how?

I needed a career break. Maybe it was the start of a midlife crisis, I don’t know. I put my stuff in storage, sold my car, bought the latest DSLR and two new pro lenses, packed my backpack and took off as a nomad for Central America determined to figure something out. There are many things to photograph in Central America; landscape, the people and of course Architecture. Buildings and homes dominated by colonial Spanish architecture and deep in the jungle the abandoned cities of the Mayans. Unaware that such a thing as an Architectural Photographer or Hotel Photographer even existed, I spent my time capturing these spaces for my own enjoyment. Camera at the ready early in the morning and during golden hour, I was doing naturally then what is required now, capturing the light and space.

Back in my loft in Milford, CT. I received a phone call from a Real Estate Photography company in Utah. They were looking for a Photographer in my area. Intrigued, I said sure and soon found out it started to answer my questions on not only how to become a professional photographer, but a professional photographer that captures the images I had unconsciously been capturing for the past twenty years.
And that was it, over the years as a Real Estate Photographer, I captured thousands of homes for Real Estate Agents. These Real Estate Photography assignments allowed me to learn composition, understand light and create an image that told a story. As my style developed, I felt confident enough to open myself up to Interior Design Photography, Hotel Photography, Design Build Photographer and of course Architectural Photography. What do they all have in common? Capturing interior and exterior spaces of creatives.

I had found a new path and understood the direction in which to move forward, Architectural Photography. In the next segment, I want to talk more about my journey to becoming an Architectural Photographer in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area and the challenges of becoming a small business Owner.