One of the COOLEST things about this trip was having my brother Larry there, along with his wife Judy.

Back story:  Larry is 11 1/2 years older than me.  It’s an understatement to say that I really looked up to him and our brother Mike (12 1/2 years my senior) when I was a kid.  Larry was out of the Navy and in college studying art and photography when I entered high school.  He introduced me to photography.  He amazed me with his creative eye and the beautiful images he produce with film.  His small black and white “lab” in the shed behind his house seemed like a magical place to me.  He showed me enough of the basics for me to want my own camera.

So off I went, buying a 35mm Pentax with one 50mm lens, dabbling through high school and college.  Around the same time, Larry went to work for a studio in Nashville, but left photography to pursue a different career.  I pretty much dropped photography in 1984 after my college yearbook days.  My photography interests were rekindled in 1998, and I’ve truly been immersed in it ever since.  Larry recently renewed his interest in photography after being on hiatus since the mid-80’s, except an occasional point and shoot moment.

So, this trip was Larry’s first real dive back into using a “real camera” … only, there’s no film in it!  Learning digital was new and exciting for him, if not initially intimidating.

I think most of us dream of the day that we become good enough at a craft that our mentor or teacher is proud of us, and from whom we’ve earned respect.  Well, that was the feeling I had with Larry participating in our workshop.  To think that I could actually help teach him something about photography, which he introduced me to and had such a mastery of years ago, was both an honor and a blessing!  I still have a long way to go to reach my photographic aspirations, but this was a proud and pivotal moment in many respects.  Among other things, it helped me stop and realize a) how thankful I was that Larry took the time years ago to share something he loved with me, and b) the progress I’ve made after all the time, effort, and passion I’ve devoted.

Larry and Mark - Hoo Doos Trail

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