The Fiery Prophecy

I was driving home from a party late one night when I still lived in Southeast Missouri. I remember that it was early Summer, and we had little to do but sit around and enjoy the company until our first year of college kicked in. Our town was small, filled mostly with farmland and minor industrial businesses. The time had to be at least Midnight, if not later, and our gathering place was in deep farming and woodland territory found only via careful navigation through several two-lane backroads and highways.

I had rounded a corner, blasting what could only have been the heaviest of Heavy Metal at the time when I came upon a burning field. Fire torched the sky from various scattered mounds across an otherwise flat, empty plain. I pulled over to the side of the road, in awe of what had to be no less than 50 bonfires set up. Only after a few moments did my mind register that this small City of Dis had been done on purpose to clear brush and reinvigorate the soil for new crops the next season. It was a common practice, but usually done with one wall of fire rather than patches of piled material.

My mind could only whisper "I wish I had a camera right now."

After saving through my job advertising for real estate for a couple of weeks, I bought a Canon A80 point and shoot, July 1st, 2004. Not long after, I bought my first subscription to National Geographic, which I have renewed every year since. I tried college, had several problems in relationships, eventually gave up on school, packed what little I had into my car, and moved to Los Angeles. Throughout it all, my little Canon stayed with me, and despite having a primary passion for acting, I knew that photography would be the true medium through which to define myself. Today, I still try acting when it's available, work for Warner Bros. Studios as a day job, and am happily with someone at the moment. However, beside me at all times is a Canon EOS 40D with 3 issues of National Geographic and a steel card holder filled with business cards saying "Photographer."

Now, along with several other makeshift pages, there is a blog to describe my life as seen through a viewfinder. I travel when I can, photograph what is willing, and share this all to you. It's hardly National Geographic (yet), but hopefully this will be an open window to exploration and bringing the world to you, the reader. With any luck, I'll even stumble upon another burning field, only I'll ready this time.


The Devil's Highway by =serphius on deviantART