Past, Present, Future

Almost everybody I talk to about my photography, asks how I got started. It's actually easier to show the process than to explain all of the steps I've taken to get to the point I'm at, presently. But, in this blog post, I'm going to do a little of both.

(Mohonk Mountain from my apartment window)

It all started in New Paltz, where I first attended college. In hindsight, I had way too much fun and should have focused more on school, but this is also where I had the time and resources to explore areas of New York that I never knew existed. Something sparked inside me, and the camera I almost never used was now in my hands everywhere I went.

(Psychiatric Center)

One day, while visiting my family back on Long Island, I took a ride over to King Parks Psychiatric Center. The abandoned buildings always interested me, but I never took the time to walk around the property. On that same day, I ran into two girls, Jackie and Cassie, who were also taking pictures and offered to bring me into one of the hospital buildings with them. As nervous as I was, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. From that day on, over the few years that followed, we spent our free time traveling all over the East Coast exploring similar locations. If it was abandoned, we were immediately interested in checking it out for ourselves. Although Jackie and Cassie have now moved onto other hobbies outside of photography, we still keep in touch. I'm forever thankful for meeting them that day in Kings Park. 

(Random Door near New Paltz, NY)

Even though I'm currently living on Long Island, I still visit New Paltz often. Going back to the place where it all started, and where I spent about six years of my life, is almost like hitting a reset button. It gives me a chance to practice my photography in an area that I'm extremely familiar with. I may not know what the future holds for me, but photography, even if it does not become my main source of income, will always be a passion of mine.