IMG_1855 (1)Little Critter

Yup! me. 

This was the picture of me that my dad carried in his wallet until the day he left us. 

My dad passed away just as cellphones became the rage.  As I write this I am not totally convinced he would have liked them had he the chance to use the 'handheld computer to the ear' like we have now.

I say that having taken in good deal of consideration. My dad loved talking to people, and throughout all the years I grew up in suburban Chicago I remember him as a person-to-person, talking-over-coffee kind of guy; but not someone who would use a phone unless he had to (but he *did* have a phone installed in our bathroom as I recall..so he kept his bases covered well for those 'have to' circumstances!). 

But what do we use our phones for these days, anyway? If you're like me, its not just a tool for communication. Mine holds thousands of photos that I many times forget I have. 

Growing up for my family meant those little movie cameras and brownie box cameras.

Our basement had metal boxes with tins of movies but I don't recall ever watching them. Our house was destroyed by fire when I was 10 (hence the smoke on the photo) so there was little chance of discovering who my parents really were before I and my three siblings came along. 

My dad carried only a few photos in his wallet. The one you see there is my baby picture. He never replaced it with updated photos and I was 30, had been working radio and tv, moved about a half-dozen times, and married by the time he passed away! 

 There are tons of photos of us growing up. They were kept in shoeboxes or albums but dad didn't have to look at photos of how we changed or what we did over the years. 

And that's because I believe he just kept what was important to him close to him..in his memories and his wallet. No keeping batteries charged, no downloading or apps. No scrolling. Just his 'dad cloud.'

My fascination with cameras started with one of those old brownie cameras I found in the basement.

It didn't work, but I didn't care. I loved the way it felt in my hand. I loved the idea that I could look at anything in front of me on any given day and with a press of a button ... Voila! I could now have that moment to look at anytime I wanted to.... I could capture a moment in time and hold it always!

That Brownie gave way to instamatics (remember those square flash bulbs that rotated? How many shots were we limited to?)and then disc cameras (I learned about double-exposure with those things because the discs didn't have a beginning or an end..so I had some of the weirdest ...and coolest.. pictures from the drugstore!) and lots of fun little cameras I just considered tools to remember time  spent with people around me. 

Then,  I met Canon....then Nikon, and Rollei... and I've never looked back.

I love having this as a means to connect others with and share this life!

These days I live in Durham with my family and  I happily shoot portraits, families and events. 

We took in my mother-in-law's dog, Max, last year. Our cat, Nolan, is none too thrilled about it. You can follow their journey on their facebook page (The Max and Nolan Project). I instagram as BarrowImages. 

I was able to make a transition from life in front of the camera to one behind the lens in 2013 mostly due to John Carter of Perfect Day Images. He very generously allowed me a chance to begin an education in professional photography for which I am incredibly grateful.  I consider it an honor any time I get a chance to shoot for him and for Ravinder Tukrar of Maadhurya Photography.   They are incredible mentors!

I consider every day a joy and every opportunity a chance to develop more as a photographer. I hope I can someday share that joy with you as you step in front of my lens :-)

Pati