To begin I would like you to know that I'm from a small steel mill town north of Pittsburgh. Butler is nestled in an almost bowl-like valley in the Western Pennsylvanian hills. Somewhat rural in nature the prospect of becoming a professional artist just wasn't something people thought feasible. I was highly encouraged to be clean-cut, join "The Service," and to then go work in the mill, namely ARMCO. When I told my father I wanted to go to art school instead of the army he said, "You're going to end up pumping gas for a living!" I had it in my head that I wanted to make dioramas for a living, only I had no inkling on how to go about making that happen. Thankfully I had an amazing mother who supported my decision to attend art school. I shot this photo in 2003, the same year I bought my first dSLR, a Canon 10D. It's a typical scene at a once well loved place that is no longer there. I don't think I can take a better photo that truly captures what life in my hometown was like.
