​I started taking photographs when I was 11 years old. I didn't know much about it other than that I could capture a moment in time and save memories, and it seemed very technical at the time. Immediately I was drawn to the shutter's mechanics and the lens's focus.

At first, I started using a disposable camera that I purchased at the local drugstore, which was easy to use because all I had to do was point and shoot. Most of my first photographs were of friends and family, and nothing I would share with anyone other than friends and family because I was having fun.

When I attended Sherman Indian High school, I took a photography 101 class in my Junior year. As a result, I learned more about using the aperture setting, shutter speed, and loading the proper film into a MINOLTA 35mm SLR camera. 

At first, I took photographs of palm trees, flowers, moving objects, skateboarding, and my friends. I had no clue what I was doing at this point; all I knew was I was having fun taking photos. I needed clarification on what it meant to take a decent photograph, and there was no meaning behind most of the images I captured at first.

Throughout the years, I learned by trial and error, experimenting and taking photos of anything that caught my eye. Most of my photographs were spontaneous; some had some thought behind them. Now, most of my photos are on my cell phone.

The mechanical parts of a 35mm camera still interest me and take me back to when I first started taking photos. So I love collecting MINOLTA cameras when I come across one because that's where I started.

I love learning how to take better photographs, constantly looking for inspiration around me, and finding places I've yet to explore in my community.

See images below.

Thank you all for taking the time to read my blog post. 

I will post daily/weekly/monthly blogs about art, photography, and inspiring things happening in my world.

Stay tuned as I gather my thoughts and settle into this blog posting again.

​-Paul