Introduction: Many years ago when I was starting out on my photographic journey, I went to an open house at SVA (School of Visual Arts) where several faculty members were giving mini presentations about their specialty and classes. Nothing really grabbed my attention until this one teacher spoke and showed us some of his images, and for the record, this was the only presentation that really got me excited that evening, which is why I signed up for his class.

The teacher? Rick Falco. The class? Photo-Journalism. I knew I didn’t want to be the kind of photographer documenting war-torn countries (and God Bless those who do). That wasn’t my thing, but I still loved the idea of capturing something in the moment, an un-staged moment in time that could not be repeated. More along the lines of Henri Cartier-Bresson and “The Decisive Moment.” I also loved (and still do) the idea of story-telling through images and for that Photo-Journalism class, we had to pick a subject that we could go back and photograph over a period of several weeks, and I chose my veterinarian, Dr. Julie Butler and The 145th Street Animal Hospital. She became more than just my vet; we also became friends during that time. Continue reading →