How does an engineering and english literature graduate of the University of Michigan work his way into architectural photography? He joins the Peace Crops, buys a camera in Kenya, and climbs Mt. Kilimanjaro. Then he treks through the Middle East and Europe before landing in Carmel, California to teach math and english at a private boys school.

Is he shooting assignments? Not yet. Not until his, that is, my writing ability and understanding of engineering concepts landed me a job taking one and two week whirlwind jaunts through three or five cities doing industrial photojournalism. By then, I knew I was a location photographer.

Singlehandedly, I lugged 2 1/4 and 4x5 format photo equipment to intriguing sites such as a mine near the Arctic Circle or oil derricks in the Gulf , conducted in-depth interviews, shot portraits and dynamic photo coverage of the industrial product or process in a day or less, then scrambled to make the flight to the next location.

It was pressure, but I learned not to broadcast, but to remain calm and focused. I honed my abililty to think on the spot, identify good angles, and solve mixed lighting situations. Always thinking, "Dynamic and dramatic." The images had to be good to sell the story. There was no going back to sites such as a newly built Class 10 clean room that started up the moment I left. Back at home base I processed film—literally—and wrote the articles.

Then a real estate developer needed a photographer who could scramble over the girders of a hard hat site and follow up with the glamour shots of office interiors. Along the way I added computers, high caliber scanners, and an Epson printer to my image toolkit. Shot after shot. One client leading to another. Every new assignment adding to my experience and knowledge of capturing the light.

In my on-going travels, I have become a darn good architectural photographer. I like it. No, I love it.