Linda Donahue

Photography – Miami

My first experience with a camera was in front of it. My father, a lawyer by trade, took up photography as a hobby while I was in my \"tween\" years. He was pretty darned good, but as a self-taught artist, he learned his craft through experimentation. Unfortunately, I was the subject of that experimentation. Dad learned depth of field, lighting and exposure by placing me in myriad uncomfortable situations—indoors, outdoors and in pitch dark rooms. I believe several sections of the Geneva Convention were violated as my father tortured me for countless hours. Having been traumatized by my experience, I took up photography as therapy while in high school. My father fled in fear each time I tried to get him to pose for me (knowing I was out for revenge), so I began aiming my lens at inanimate objects and landscapes. I put the camera aside for a while when I went to college, focusing instead on honing my writing skills. I kept it in storage while I began a career as a writer. But after a few years, I needed a creative escape that didn\'t require thinking or words, I dusted off my Canon and rediscovered a world of inspiration. It was like gaining entrée into a dimension that few could see, where I could capture incredible moments in time and space. Best of all, it\'s an unlimited reservoir of inspiration I can tap into. And now it\'s how I see the world.