I started in photography in grade school. My dad was a talented amateur photographer whose work was exhibited around the country and in Europe in the ’50s and ’60s, and he gave my younger brother and me inexpensive 35mm cameras when we were kids and took us on little trips occasionally to get us interested in it. I liked it, though I think it’s safe to say my brother lost interest once he was old enough to start spending time with friends.

One of our annual trips was to Vermont to do some leaf peeping. You might look at that and think “Uh, nice picture, Bob?” but the best thing my dad ever did for my photographic eye was to not let my brother or me use color film. (He didn’t use it either. I have some of his prints from that time and they’re gorgeous.)

My very first boss was a semiprofessional photographer and we talked about the subject a lot. Now, back in high school, I had a friend who was an artist, and he actually mocked the idea of going to Vermont and taking pictures of Fall foliage with black-and-white film. One time we were talking, I told my boss that, and I added, “I couldn’t believe someone who was an artist didn’t get it. Anyone can wave a camera around in any direction and take a picture of Fall foliage that people will like. Work in black-and-white and you have to figure out how to take a good picture.” He got it.

Is that a good picture? I think so. I like the arrangement, the composition of the grays and blacks in the image. In this picture, you may not see the color, but you see the light, and that’s what my dad taught me, and that’s why I love this photo.

October 21, 2023. Nikon Coolpix P1000 (1/2.3-inch sensor), focal length 24mm (35mm equivalent: 135mm), f/4, 1/60, ISO 100.