About Us
A place to learn
I began my interest in photography with my Dad. He inspired me to pursue photography by always taking pictures of our life events. From just moments in the backyard to family gatherings, my Dad recorded those memories on film. I don’t think he realizes the impact that he made on me by recording our past. He continues to take pictures even almost in his eighties. From this man I have learned to appreciate the amazing miracle that is photography.
I purchased my first camera at the age of 16. My mother could not afford anything as elaborate as a Minolta SLR with detachable lenses. I worked at the local grocery store and saved my money. I began taking mostly black and white pictures with the help of my friend Toby Montgomery. I began purchasing dark room equipment and studying how film works and how light is recorded on film. All of this at the age of sixteen. I would carry my camera to school and shoot pictures of fellow students. Later that night I would develop the film and print the pictures that I had taken earlier that day. Return to school the next day to share the pictures I had shot the day before.
Soon I would become one of the school photographers and was allowed to miss classes to photograph school events. I got to go to many of the school sporting events. One time, I caught a shot of the varsity basketball star when he got tangled in the goal netting and was injured when he hit the floor.
After school, I joined the military and served with the Navy. My mother could not afford to send two sons to college so I elected to earn my education through the military. I thought that I would enlist as a photographers mate but apparently everyone else wanted the same career choice. The waiting list to attend the school was over a year long, so I decided to pursue my other love and that was electronics. I still loved photography but I did not get the professional education that I desired.
After my career in the military I had more time and more money to be more serious about photography. My wife gave me a camera for Christmas, a Canon T1i. It’s a digital camera with a couple of lenses and comes with a bag. She knows that I love shooting pictures. Soon I began purchasing more equipment since film photography has become somewhat of a dinosaur. I sure many would have no clue on how film works and how it is processed. There are still many that work with film but very few. I’ve also acquired various lenses for more specific types of photography such as macro lenses, fast lenses for astro-photography. Recently I have begun shooting weddings and portraits. I never thought that I would enjoy working with people so much since I have mostly done landscapes and nature scenes. Portraits are very rewarding, a lot of work, but very rewarding. I love to see people at their best and working with photography that’s what I hope to accomplish.
Martin Cleveland
“Over forty years of photography experience”