Sometime in the autumn of last year I passed the fifty-year mark in making photographs. This photograph, which I call Central Park Encounter, was the image that told me to seriously pursue photography.

It all started in 1969. After college, I started my first full-time job, eventually getting time off for vacation. While planning my first trip, it occurred to me that most people take a camera along to bring back pictures to show friends and family, and that I should do the same. Before that, I had never paid much attention to cameras or photography.

When I returned, I became friends with someone who had been photographing for a while. He showed me his photographs, which I thought were beautiful. So, when I showed him my vacation photos, I was quite surprised when he said I had a good eye for photography and urged me to pursue it.

He accompanied me to buy my first camera, a Nikon F with 50mm and 105mm lenses, all used. After I got my second roll of black and white film back from the developing lab, he looked at my contact sheet and pointed this image out to me as something special. What beginner’s luck, just my second roll of film!

Next year is my seventy-fifth birthday, and I plan to commemorate my photographic career with a digital publication of my 75 favorite images. Look for my announcement in January. It will be available on my website as a free PDF download.