Who Am I ?
I am nothing special, but a man who has a joy of photography and technology. I am no professional photographer at all. I have dabbled in/out of photography through-out my years. I had a love for photography when I was young and enjoyed the opportunity to create a peace of art. Evert since than, I have been trying to create a since of art and making memories within the next generation.
Background
As I stated above, I am no professional photographer, nor would I ever claim to be. I have many times wanted to be a professional photography, but circumstances provided other opportunities throughout my life.
It all stated back when I was in upper elementary school. This is when I got to use my first camera, only film in those times. I remember using my mom’s 110 film camera, which I thought was the coolest thing ever. I than would start to enter something called 4-H program and entered in photography for a few years. I eventually moved on the APS (Advanced Photo System) film camera and than to 35mm SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera.
You may be asking yourself, what about Polaroids and instant cameras? When I will get to that in a minute.
While I was enjoyed creating art through photography, I started to get taking art classes on Saturdays. I mainly focused oil painting as my medium and still is my preferred medium of choice to this day. I started painting when I was 11 years old all the way through college. I have recently started to get back into it a little and start teaching my kids as well. While growing up, I remember the memorizing work of Bob Ross on TV this helped give my some more encouragement to go forward with this.
During this artistic journey of photography and oil painting, I said to myself, what else could I do. Well, that was answered in around 4th grade. By then my parents probably did not much money left after helping me pursue the other activities, but they willingly and lovingly allowed me to start in our first ever string orchestra at our school. As one to be different, I chose to play the Viola instead of the violin. The Viola has stuck with me even till this day.
During this artistic journey of photography and oil painting, I said to myself, what else could I do. Well, that was answered in around 4th grade. By then my parents probably did not much money left after helping me pursue the other activities, but they willingly and lovingly allowed me to start in our first ever string orchestra at our school. As one to be different, I chose to play the Viola instead of the violin. The Viola has stuck with me even till this day.
After high school, what was I to do with my life. I was not that certain about it, but engineering kind of ran in the family, so off the Purdue University to attend the Electrical Engineering program. Along with art, technology was another passion of mine. I liked to work with my hands and was known to take things apart, whether they were working or not, to try to fix them or try to improve them somehow. It was the tinkerer built inside me.
After I had completed my studies in 2009, unemployment was one of the highest in the nation in the city I lived in. This did not bode well for me in getting a job fresh out of college. So, I started working at a local auto dealership and was the internet manager. After a year or so, that started to get out-sourced and found myself on unemployment. In about six months of unemployment, I got contacted about patent analysis within patent classification in Virginia.
This was all new to me, and hesitated at first, but then my wife and I headed out to Virginia to start this new journey. Since then, I have worked for multiple USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) contractors. I have about 11 years of patent analysis experience, including experience as a patent examiner for the USPTO.
What About Instant Photography
Well, I you have stayed this long, I commend you. The one big memory I had growing up about Polaroids and instant photography in general was when my friend’s dad and I went to see the Thunderbirds airshow at a local Air Force base. There was an opportunity for my friend and I to dress up as pilots and we got out picture taken in front of the jet. This was shot on a Polaroid and was given to me. I still have it and something that I have always had great memories with it as a token of the outing with my friend.
I, like most people, am not the most patient of person when it comes to something I want, just ask my wife. The waiting time of film developing was always too long for me. Even when digital photography was hitting the scene in full strides, that fact I can get an instant print out of what I just took and watch as it developed is something that cannot be replicated or replaced, regarding of how far superior in photographic perfection that digital photography can provide.
While in the patent examiner training, one thing they go over is the Polaroid and Kodak patent wars. I stared to look more into this and got fascinated with Edwin Land and all the patents and innovations he has achieved throughout his life. This has all rejuvenated my passion for instant photography again and what to share my journey through Polaroid and Fuji (Instax) from the perspective of art, technology and science.
I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY TAKING THIS JOURNEY WITH ME!