With only three years of high school photography classes under my belt, I was fortunate in 1990 to land a job as a darkroom technician and occasional photographer at The Aegis Newspaper in Harford County. With the help of a patient photo editor, I received my “formal” education in photojournalism on the job, learning the skills and approach I would need to handle a typical roster of newspaper assignments. After working my way up to full-time staff photographer at The Aegis and remaining there for three years, I moved on to staff positions at community newspapers throughout the Baltimore region, including The Times Herald and The Avenue. Along the way I freelanced for the Patuxent Publishing newspaper chain, as well as Chesapeake Bay Magazine and several college alumni magazines throughout the country. In 1998, I began work at The Gazette, and was soon asked to start up the photography staff in the Prince George’s County office. I served as photography editor for more than a decade, overseeing a staff of five photographers. In 2011, I came full circle and returned to general assignment photography for The Gazette. My photography has received awards from the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association and the Suburban Newspapers of America. I live in Baltimore with my wife, Cindy France. In my spare time, I like to cook, travel, listen to too much rock ‘n’ roll and take photos of street life.