About Don:
I first picked up a camera in my teenage years, shooting mostly black and white film and doing my own darkroom work. My interests shifted to color film in my early twenties, then I did the unexpected, I quit photography. There were a variety of reasons for this decision, but when I look back I think I was lacking a certain maturity that was necessary to move forward in regard to the quality of my work. With the advent of Digital Photography I started shooting again with a passion that had been missing in earlier years. Today I am drawn to a variety of work, but I consider landscape photography to be the core of my interests. Being outside and often in remote locations gives me an appreciation for our natural world. It is my hope that my images bring others to that same level of appreciation.
Today I consider myself a professional amateur. The amateur aspect allows me to pursue photography with a passion that many with a 9 to 5 job lack and the professional aspect constantly pushes me to improve my craft. Even when shooting familiar subjects, I try to capture them in new and unique ways. I constantly feel a motivation to strive for that next level, regardless of how elusive that goal may be. I hope to be able to share that passion and drive with our clients at Road Runner Photography Tours.
While I consider camera gear to be important, it is only a tool that you use to achieve an end. In the field I might be shooting next to you with only an iPhone, but that might be the tool I choose to achieve my creative vision. As David DuChemin said “gear is good, vision is better”. I might make suggestions for equipment that will help you achieve a specific effect, but I do not believe that expensive cameras are necessary for quality work.