Flint Foto Factory's photostream  

Some people keep a written journal to document their lives. I have my Flickr page.

I was born and raised in Flint, Michigan, the Vehicle City. I grew up in an environment chock-full of working-class joie de vivre.

Flint was a magical place to grow up, with its myriad factories, racially-diverse (and mostly integrated) population, and vibrant Cultural Center, not to mention being steeped in car-culture. Growing up in Flint undoubtedly shaped my tendency to gravitate toward urban scenes. Even today, it seems there is no place quite like Flint, with regard to people of different backgrounds relating to one another generally pretty seamlessly. The factories may be gone, but Flint's friendly, resilient ethos remains. The whole United States could probably learn some lessons in positive interaction from Flint.

I currently reside in beautiful, historic Chicago, Illinois.

Bill Owens is my main photography hero. I love the way he captures and portrays Americana, and how he finds beauty within seemingly mundane subjects and highlights what's interesting and unique about them.

All images are copyright protected. Do not use without my written consent.

**My Flickr page is dedicated to the loving memory of my late father, who passed away in 2009. While picture-taking wasn't his particular forte, he supported many of my creative endeavors including photography, as well as piano, acting, and writing. (Rest in peace, Dad - I'll see you when I get there.)

My page is also dedicated to my mom, who gave me her old 35mm Konica when I was fifteen. Her doing so was symbolic of passing a torch, as her father, my grandfather, was the original photographer in our family. I draw much inspiration from the everyday things and moments which Grandpa chose to capture from behind the lens.**

13/31/2011 UPDATE: On the last day of 2011, I completed self-publication of "My Beautiful Flint", a photo book of images I have taken in my hometown of Flint, Michigan: www.blurb.com/my/book/detail/2873024. It was a labor of love and I am very proud of it. You can preview the whole thing.