Growing up my dad always had his Nikon with him and no matter what we were doing he was taking photos. He could care less about making artful photographs. He just wanted to capture the moments he shared with his friends and family. I loved dropping off rolls of film and picking up prints from the rolls we dropped off the previous week.
As I got older, he taught me how to use his camera. How to load film and get a proper exposure. I have been hooked ever since. I used that same camera for almost 20 years to capture moments with friends and family just like Dad did.
After six years in the Air Force, I moved back to York, PA and enrolled in York College studying Mass Communications. I immediately joined the college radio station and within a semester had my own show called Monday Night Mixtape. I spent more time preparing my three hour playlist each week than I spent on all but one class. My goal was to get a job in the music industry after graduating. I didn’t care if it was a Radio Dj, Artist Manager, Booking Agent, Tour Manager, etc.
One of my required courses for my major was Black and White Film Photography. Obviously I was pumped for that class. The professor, Joel Springer, would end up changing my life. Joel had been a professional photographer for longer than I was alive and was head of the Photography Department. About halfway through the semester, he pulled me aside after class and said, “Gary, I can tell that you are really passionate about photography and I think you can be a really good photographer. If you want to, I think you could make a career as a photographer.” Joel took me under his wing and showed me that photography can be something more than just a hobby. After college I was fortunate to have him as a friend, mentor and cheerleader.
After my eyes were opened to a career in photography, I left college to accept a position at a commercial photography and video studio. There I learned so much about the technical and business aspects of photography. I also learned a lot about myself as a photographer. I was so happy to be making a living with a camera but ultimately left to pursue what drove me.
My Dad had a knack for clicking the shutter at the exact moment that someone showed their true self and he instilled a love of photographing people and always respecting whomever was in front of his camera. He didn’t even know he was doing it.
My Dad, Joel, my college radio show and my time at the commercial photography studio shaped me into a unique photographer that just wants to enjoy music, spend time with cool human beings and make art.
