In the year 2001 I decided to purchase some camera equipment and go out into nature and have some fun.

It was November when I receive my used Nikon N80 film camera along with a tripod, some lenses all bought used from eBay.

It was a Saturday morning before daybreak when I drove out to a local park to capture my first images with my camera gear.

I got there before the sun came over the horizon as my thought was to shoot the sunrise.

I had no idea what I was doing but guess I would figure it out as I go.

As I got out of my car in the parking lot I looked to the east and saw this tree with these amazing layers of colors behind the tree. 

The colors were produced by a storm that was coming in from the west threatening to rain on my first outing with my camera.

I set up my tripod and camera and clicked a couple frames. Have no idea what my setting were on that shot, but got lucky.

When I got the slides back from the processing, I was amazed at what I had capture with the very first click of my shutter.

Little did I know on that day that within a few years I would start a successful photography business that has lasted for 21 years.

Here is my very first image in 2001.