How did I end up here?

Back in the day, my parents had a Kodak Brownie/Hawkeye 120mm film camera that was pulled from the closet for special occasions like birthdays, vacations and other important events. The Brownie was a cumbersome beast that was a challenge in terms of using the viewfinder and when loading film. When necessary, supplemental flash was handled by a detachable reflector and boxes of single use flashbulbs. It was a common, consumer grade camera in it's day and was a popular device among casual photo shooters for it's portability and reasonable cost. There were no adjustments possible with the Brownie. It was a true point and shoot and it was the camera that I used on my first steps of the journey to being a photographer. 

Once I made the connection between square Bakelite box and the printed photos that came back weeks later, I was hooked. I looked for opportunities to “take pictures” whenever I could.  At the time, I knew nothing of composition and had no idea that light can make or break an image. The idea that the background could be as important as the subject also hadn't come to mind either. At the time, I was only interested in getting a shot of whatever had my attention at the moment. Of course, lacking knowledge of the rudiments of photography, the results were often disappointing. A high school photography class was my introduction to the finer points of capturing images that were clear, focused and well lit but the journey to develop a skillset as a photographer was a long road. 

Instead of a comprehensive history of my work, I have chosen to show some photos from early on. These photos show that the beginning  steps on my photographic journey were on very rough terrain indeed. These photos showcase most of the mistakes that a photographer can make: bad lighting, poor focus and odd, unplanned composition but, despite their technical failings, these images made me ask “what went wrong?” and “why did it turn out like that?” These photos and many more like them were tools that forged my progress so they remain important items in my portfolio. Besides that, since I lack a functional time machine I can only return to these moments via these photos and for that alone they are important memories despite the technical issues. 

I have also included a couple of recent photos in this group. One is a shot that I took in the Lex Joon Racing pit space in Indianapolis while another photographer, Krystle Thomas of Daylight Custom Creative, took one of me taking the other photo. 

I look forward to the places the road takes me from here and I hope you enjoy this look at my past as a photographer. 

Thanks for visiting!

Images shown below are:

Bill Leibig, Sprint Car Driver at Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, S.D. 1973, shot with a Kodak Brownie/Hawkeye 120mm film camera. Bon Scott of AC/DC and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith on stage in Rapid City, S.D. 1978, shot with a Canon Demi 35mm film camera. White Wing, Rapid City based progressive rock band on stage in Rapid City, S.D. 1978, shot with a Yashica 35mm film camera. Olympic Torch Bearer, Lakewood, CO. 1984, shot with a Canon Demi 35mm film camera.