Greetings fellow Earthlings!  My name is Justin Round.  I am a chef by trade, and have been cooking professionally for many years.  I became interested in photography at a very young age, and was given my first camera by my dad when I was just seven years old. It was an old Kodak Tele-Instamatic, and I shot my first roll of 110mm film on the deck of the U.S.S. Alabama docked in Mobile.  By the time I was eleven, I was experimenting with single lens reflex cameras, and playing with darkroom equipment at summer camp.  

I've had many cameras over the years, but it wasn't until recently that I got my hands on a nice DSLR (and Photoshop.)  It was only then I began to understand photography for what it was to me . . .  aperture, and shutter speed (i.e. depth of field, and exposure.)  That's what it's all about really.   Don't get me wrong.  Composition and creativity are important as well, but they definitely play second fiddle to proper exposure.  If an image is poorly exposed, it doesn't really matter if it was beautifully composed.  

I have several other hobbies besides photography.  I love to fish, and tie all my own flies.  I like to write, and have several other blogs.  Links to some of my other websites can be found under the "more . . ." tab located in the menu bar.  Even though I cook professionally, I definitely consider that a hobby.  I'm just really good at it.  I have started writing a cookbook, and hope to have that done by the end of 2012.  The title is yet to be determined, but it is sure to amaze.  I brew my own beer, I have lots of old friends, and I enjoy good music.