Lawrence C. Cross, Photographer

 

Autobiography

 

     My name is Lawrence C. Cross and I am a Photographer. I’ve loved photography for nearly all of my adult life. My ability to make meaningful images is something from which I derive great joy.

 

     After 38 years I retired from a successful career as a Civil Servant working for the Department of the Navy. Sometime later, I made the decision to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Photography.

 

      I live in Green Cove Springs, Florida with my wife of 30 years and our 22-pound cat named Jingo. Jingo was named by our then 3-year-old granddaughter, no further explanation is required. Green Cove Springs is located in North East Florida about midway between Jacksonville and Saint Augustine and it is on the Saint Johns River.

 

     My first camera was a 35mm half frame camera that I took everywhere with me. I graduated to a 35mm full frame Minolta SRT101 and started learning to develop and print in black and white. At that time, my focus was scenic photography and I got to be pretty good at capturing images that I liked. I did a little work on commission, but most of what I shot was self-assignment.

 

     Somewhere along the line I began learning to develop and print in color. Here the business of temperature control was critical to successful outcomes, so I learned. And I had successful outcomes. I sold a few images but mostly shot for myself. I did a few weddings and a few portraits but mostly, I entertained myself.

 

     Medium format photography intrigued me and I was able to acquire a Mamaya RB-67 medium format camera and 3 lenses. The film size is 120 mm, this is almost 3 ½ times the size of 35mm film and produces images of incredible depth and clarity. I loved my RB-67 and put several hundred rolls of film through it. But I had to stop using it because I had deteriorating eye sight, I couldn’t focus clearly enough to use this incredible tool.

 

     Then I discovered the wonderful world of auto-focus by acquiring a Nikon 8008 film camera. Now, because of auto-focus, I could shoot again and I was very happy, again. This happened shortly after the dawn of the digital age of photography but I was committed to film and for a very long time I refused to entertain digital imagery. Finally, I gave in and acquired a Nikon D-70 digital camera. It took me a while to learn digital photography but once I learned it, I put my analog darkroom away. I now have a very capable digital darkroom of which I am very proud.

 

     I love using my digital darkroom to create beautiful portraits, to do incredible wedding photography and to capture events as few others can. Photography has always been my avocation and now it is my vocation as well. It is my life.