The Idea Behind Faces of Florida

I received my first "real" camera from my grandfather in the late 1970's.  Goggy, as I called him, was a Florida native, born in the tiny panhandle town of Bascom.  He and my grandmother, Mammaw, lived most of their adult lives in Tampa, and I live in the home they built 70 years ago in 1948.

The camera was a Pentax K1000, a 35mm camera that got me hooked on shooting people from a young age.  I took family photos, begged my high school girlfriend to let me photograph her, and took my camera to Al Lopez Field to photograph my favorite baseball team, the Cincinnati Reds.  I took my camera with me to Colorado, where I was stationed at the base of the Rocky Mountains while serving as a tank gunner in my battalion at Fort Carson.  I'd take my Jeep CJ5 into the mountains on the weekends, and always took my little K1000 with me.

I upgraded to a Canon SLR back in the 1990's, and began shooting digital around 2000.  My current cameras are both Canon DSLR's.  My primary camera is a Canon 5D Mark III, equipped with pro-series glass.  I've photographed everything from family portraits to sports to real estate to a few celebrities over my 20+ year pro career behind the lens, but I've always loved shooting people.

I had the idea for Faces of Florida after discovering an incredible photo series based on everyday people in NYC.  What I want to do is spread a little bit of love and joy in our turbulent times, and show the humanity in all of us.  I will photograph people I encounter in my daily life, and ask them to share a few words about what they love about our Sunshine State.

I hope you enjoy Faces of Florida as much as I will enjoy creating it.

The Photographer - Tres Fenton