After almost 40 years in photojournalism, 36 of them with the Times Record News, I’ve decided to take a step back and reflect on what has been one of the most fun, satisfying, scary, frustrating and interesting jobs I could ever have hoped for. I’ve often joked it was so much fun, I’d almost do it for free. Almost.

I started out shooting black and white film, making prints in the darkroom and ended up shooting high-resolution digital images with a device that seems as much computer as camera.

After entering a local photography contest, I was fortunate enough to win a two-week internship in the photography department of the TRN. I learned about deadlines and cutlines and to always get people’s names spelled correctly.

Starting out as the Advertising Photographer for the paper, I shot photos of anything that might be sold through newspaper ads. Shoes, cars, purses, houses, food and products of all shapes and sizes.

Then I moved up to News Photographer which included general news assignments, breaking news, more food, fashion, photo illustrations, new businesses and sports.

There’s nothing like capturing the spirit of competition in everything from T-ball games to the Texas Rangers. Youth soccer, Boys Club football games, up to the Dallas Cowboys and their sold-out games at Jerry World. MSU basketball to the Texans in the 80s and 90s and the heart of high school sports, Friday Night Football.

My job also required me to shoot photos of difficult things. Fatality car accidents, gunshot victims, house fires, drownings and too many other things that made it difficult to sleep at night.

I’ve met some of the most interesting, intelligent, humbling people. CEOs, politicians, presidents, homeless people, protestors, artists, teachers, movie stars, comedians and famous musicians.

I’ve been fortunate to have been to places and experienced things that the average person might never see.

Places like up in the rafters of the Kay Yeager Coliseum, three stories below the bottom of Lake Kemp, on the side of a billboard, the inside of the original Doppler radar dome, a fire truck's aerial ladder, the roofs of dozens of buildings and even rappelled off the side of Big Blue.

I’ve photographed the tears of a mother as she listens to her late son’s heart beating inside the chest of a transplant patient.

Traveled to countless small towns, several big cities and met some of the nicest people in both.

I’ve spent so many late nights, holidays and early mornings being on call. You know that here in Texoma, that means working through record-breaking heat, blizzards, floods, hail, pouring rain and an occasional super-cell thunderstorm. News doesn’t stop for bad weather.

And it happens everywhere. I’ve taken photos riding in boats, a race car, backwards on a motorcycle, a historic steam engine train, in several military aircraft, a hot-air balloon, helicopters, a powered parachute, on horseback and even upside down in a vintage, open-cockpit biplane.

There have been literally hundreds of thousands of photographs over the years. Needless to say, no two days are alike in the news business.

It does feel good though, knowing I’ve been able to record so many moments in history, whether large or small. It has been a privilege to try to capture those remarkable moments for our little corner of the world.

Not to mention my side business shooting weddings, events, lots of family portraits and more.

I’ve enjoyed working with some of the most talented, dedicated and ethical people you’ll ever find.

The news business has changed a lot over the years and hopefully it can continue to transform and adapt to whatever the future holds.

As I prepare to step away from my career in photojournalism, I’d like to thank you for supporting my work over the years. I consider myself blessed to have made a living doing something that started as a hobby.  

In case I didn’t mention it, I’ve loved my job.

I’ll still be around town, but probably with better posture—that camera equipment sure is heavy.