Brendan Cavanaugh

I always remember being around Pentax cameras since I was a kid with my dad taking the vacation and family photos. When I was about 12 I got an old Spotmatic SP500 with a 50mm lens. On a trip out to Lassen Volcanic National Park, I used this camera to take what would become one of many great shots that I would remember. In High School I graduated up to my Dads MX with a few more lens options and an external flash. My senior year was the changing point in my life when I was working taking pictures of every candid event and sport I could for my schools yearbook. I also bought my first auto focus camera, a Pentax Zx-5n with a 28-80mm kit lens. I chose Pentax than because I knew the system, and could use all my dads old lenses and flashes. After graduation I realized that Photography was defiantly in my blood and started applying at a few local papers and companies. I was accepted to do freelance for a string of local weekly papers and to work for a yearbook company doing other schools photographs. I would go on to get an Associates Degree in Photography and a Bachelor's in Corporate Communications. All the time working odd jobs to help supplement my income so I could buy more Pentax gear and progress in photography. I did an Internship for 5 months with The Baltimore Sun, and 3 months with Patuxent Publishing as well as a few other private photographers. Now I have gone on to freelance for both companies as well as the Washington Post, and many other news outlets I have been honored many times by Patuxent Publishing with photos-of-the-year in their weekly newspapers over the past 6 years of freelancing with them. But my biggest accomplishment is when a person contacts me and thanks me for taking such a great photo of them or of their event when I was covering it for one of the newspapers, or a Bride from her wedding. I am not one who enters many competitions, but feel that if my photo connects with just one person on a level above ink and paper I have done my job as a photographer. My day-to-day job is working as a photojournalist. I have enjoyed this type of work ever since my days in High School with the yearbook. I love the thrill of meeting new people, going to cool events, and the rush of deadlines. This has allowed me to photograph everything from children, to rock stars, dignitaries and pro sports. I also run my own business, P3 Imaging, providing photography to many individuals and groups ranging from a family portrait or wedding to huge gala fundraisers and reunions. Like most photographers I would love to make a living hiking and photographing out in nature, but alas this is only a hobby. A favorite of mine is to take my dads old MX and some slide film and go for a hike. We all now can easily get caught up in the digital realm, but I always remember where I came from, and that