My interest in photography started with my red 626 Kodak camera that I received when in 2nd or 3rd grade. Later, I moved into 35mm in about 7th grade. While attending Lane Technical HS, my focus in photography became intense. Developing my own film and printing in the unfinished attic of my folks house become a normal past time. While at Lane, I became the president of the Camera club and photo editor of the Lane Daily newspaper. I remember buying my first Mamiya Sekor SLR at Altman's Camera in downtown Chicago. But after about a year of shooting at Lane, I wore the camera out and had to upgrade to a professional grade of Nikon. In 1969 I received an Honor Award for the National Achievement in Photography from Eastman Kodak. While attending the University of Illinois, Chicago Campus, I worked as a Part-Time Film Editor. This encouraged my production of my first film movie "Freedom" for the 1971 Chicago International Film Festival.