I was born on 8/30/50?? and spent the first part of my life in New Jersey. The question mark is because I have three different birth certificates; one for 5/29, 5/30 and 5/31. I use the 5/30 certificate because it's in the middle.
After five years and being stabbed twice, my parents decided that it was no longer safe and we moved to New Mexico where my father designed nukes.
In 1962 we moved to California and I was able to do normal kid stuff. I started surfing in 1965, and placed 2nd in the Santa Cruz Pro-Am 1968. I quit in 1990 when I found I was getting to slow. I was majoring in art/photo in college when I ended up in hospital for 6 weeks after having my left knee ripped apart. After learning to walk again, I went to work for BMC as a lubeman while waiting for classes to start again. Meanwhile, I got married in 1971, and had my first child in 1973. I continued working in the auto dealership world.
In 1972, I started working with SCCA drivers on their cars and continued that thru 1977. I had the opportunity to work with BRE and FAR Performance, working on their Datsuns as well as numerous Formula and CAN-AM race cars. That ended with the choice of race cars or marriage; I should have chosen race cars because in 1984, it ended anyway. I've been a single father with three kids since 1984. Now I am getting a personal life of my own. During this time, I played around with cameras, but not seriously.
Going blind a couple of years ago, I realized how much being able to see was worth. I'm probably the only photographer you've talked to that has artificial eyes. They removed the lenses from my eyes and replaced them with silicone transplants. After wearing glasses for 40 years, it's weird to have rain hit my eyeballs.
Besides working in every position in automobile dealer service dept's, from lubeman to service director, I've owned and run 2 independent repair shops and 1 auto parts warehouse; as well as, owning and running a farm -- raising cattle.
The camera equipment I use is a CANON A2E. Film is KODAK PRO 400 at night and PRO 100 for daylight. Black/White film is PLUS-X and TRI-X. I also shoot medium format with an older Yashica twin lense reflex.
Thanks For Your Interest
Jim O'Brien
