I first got into photography in 2000 while I was juggling several part-time jobs — freelance sportswriter, part-time TV news writer, valet parking attendant and wannabe model whose most frequent gig was Who-Dey, the Cincinnati Bengals' backup mascot.

Yes, even the mascot has a backup.

So clearly, I needed at least a new hobby, if not a new life entirely.

Working in news over the years has given me good access, so I've been fortunate to lug my cameras to a few cool events. And my 2009 college football tour was a great experience for many reasons, particularly for the photography opportunities it provided.

I'm a Canon guy, having gone from the Rebel EOS in 1999 to the PowerShot G5 in 2003 to the Digital Rebel XT in 2005 to the 50D in 2009 to the 60D in 2011. Along the way I've picked up a few nice lenses as well. Now all I need to do is turn this into a full-time career, but until then, I'm still slingin' news every morning.

Pretty soon I'll be doing portraits in my home studio, so stay tuned for updates on that. And if you live in New York and need new headshots, don't hesitate to call.