Michael13
Well-Known Member
I first became interested in photography as a high school student. My study hall teacher also taught the only photography class and had a small darkroom in a closet in the study hall. I was bored and one day asked if I could see what he was doing in the darkroom. Well, the very first time I saw an image slowly coming to life in the developer tray I was hooked. Next year, I became staff yearbook photographer. Back then, everyone's dream was to be a National Geographic photographer, they were considered to have the best photography of any publication around. I went on to get a degree in photojournalism and sought out work as a newspaper staff photographer, but could only get part time gigs shooting high school football games and spot news. One day, my dad came home from his volunteer work at the local VA hospital and told me "guess what - they have a photography department in the VA hospital - you should go talk to them". It turned out they had an internship coming available soon, which I applied for and got. This was my gateway into biomedical photography.
Biomedical photographers wear many hats - a bit of studio photography (portraits, product shots), clinical and surgical photography, public affairs photography (events, awards) and medical journal photos including macro and photo microscopy. Jack of all trades, master of none. My favorite assignments were the surgical photography calls - they only called when they came across something very interesting or very rare. My least favorite assignments were public affairs award ceremonies (grip and grins). After my internship, I got hired as staff photographer at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where I stayed for 5 years. It was a great job there at the only Trauma Center in the state, but I didn't much like living in Mississippi. I kept my eyes open for jobs out west. Finally, I applied for the staff photographer job in Portland, Oregon's VA Medical Center. I spent the next 35 years there and retired in 2022. I am most proud of a grant I was awarded to produce therapeutic art for the patient clinics and inpatient wards, which was completed just before I retired.
Photography for me now is just a hobby. I became totally addicted to digital Infrared photography and ran an IR web forum for a couple of years, but now I just like to shoot landscapes and the occasional portrait. I sometimes show work in local galleries, (check out the Lightbox Gallery in Astoria) but not so much anymore. I joined on here in January 2024, when Jim Fox sent me an invitation through pBase. I am very happy to be here and see the work of so many great photographers!
Biomedical photographers wear many hats - a bit of studio photography (portraits, product shots), clinical and surgical photography, public affairs photography (events, awards) and medical journal photos including macro and photo microscopy. Jack of all trades, master of none. My favorite assignments were the surgical photography calls - they only called when they came across something very interesting or very rare. My least favorite assignments were public affairs award ceremonies (grip and grins). After my internship, I got hired as staff photographer at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where I stayed for 5 years. It was a great job there at the only Trauma Center in the state, but I didn't much like living in Mississippi. I kept my eyes open for jobs out west. Finally, I applied for the staff photographer job in Portland, Oregon's VA Medical Center. I spent the next 35 years there and retired in 2022. I am most proud of a grant I was awarded to produce therapeutic art for the patient clinics and inpatient wards, which was completed just before I retired.
Photography for me now is just a hobby. I became totally addicted to digital Infrared photography and ran an IR web forum for a couple of years, but now I just like to shoot landscapes and the occasional portrait. I sometimes show work in local galleries, (check out the Lightbox Gallery in Astoria) but not so much anymore. I joined on here in January 2024, when Jim Fox sent me an invitation through pBase. I am very happy to be here and see the work of so many great photographers!
