I began my life-long passion for documentary photography during my Peace Corps assignment in Malaysia, 1969-1970. Although I worked briefly for the University of Colorado daily newspaper, the Coloradan, before graduation in 1969, I was not fully aware of the importance of photojournalism. That changed dramatically between the years of 1971-1977. After a short-term employment with the Colorado Outward Bound School I took my initial newspaper job with the Canyon Courier in Evergreen. My first real break came in the fall of 1972 when I began working as a full-time photographer for the Sentinel Newspapers, a group of weekly publications in the Denver suburban communities. There was a staff of three photographers at the time and the visual needs for the eleven different publications kept us extremely busy. In the mid-1970’s there was, of course, no internet, digital photography, or social media. Newspapers were entering their golden era, post-Watergate, when it was possible to go to the farthest shores for stories. I began my career covering the lives of local Denver residents and occasionally projects in the American West. I rarely traveled more than 50 miles for a story. This was community journalism in my hometown.

Providence high school seniors from Clarksville, Indiana took on the challenge of making a parachute jump as part of their 2-day Mini-course the school offered. The group went to the Green County skydiving school located near Bardstown, KY for the experience.