vinniesmarkerino's photostream

I guess this is where I relinquish my bio unto those who would like to "know" me a little better than just the faceless amateur freelance photog who posts images online now and then. So, here goes...

I'm a high school teacher at a career center. I teach my students how to build, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair computers and networks. It's a job that I enjoy immensely despite the occasional student who doesn't know why he/she's in my class even though it is an elective.

I'm also a husband and a parent of a college student and a senior in high school. Their pictures would appear in my gallery if they would ever take the time to allow me to photograph them.

I've always enjoyed photography. I bought my first 110 film camera as a teen and my first 35mm by the age of 20. It was accidentally broken a few years back and wasn't cost efficient to repair. Now I own a Nikon D40x digital after having bad luck with a couple point-and-shoots. I have a hard time setting this digital camera down. In addition, several years ago, I inherited my great-grandfather's old Seroco (Sears Roebuck & Co) that he purchased around 1920 and many of the photos he took. It still works.

Currently, I'm in a 35mm photography class at a community college and am enrolled for the sequel in the Spring '09 semester. The class has been a blast. I'm looking forward to obtaining some 4x5 b/w sheet film and experimenting with the antique bellows camera (mentioned above) in the class; however, the school doesn't have the equipment to develop the prints.

My subjects of interest in photography include night shots, macros, nature, action, cemeteries, art, and anything else that suits my fancy when I see it. As a teacher I don't condone copying, although I am a proponent of benchmarking. If trying to duplicate another artist's work by trial and error leads to improving individual techniques, then do it. More importantly, though, I prefer to establish my own creative artistic license and capture it when possible. I've got ideas of which have been or will be posted in flickr for your constructive criticism.

Thanks for looking!