“Peggy and I live in Hobcaw Point, which is one of the older neighborhoods in Mt. Pleasant; big oaks and the marsh on the water. When I was growing up on James Island, I had friends who lived over in Hobcaw and a lot of those families still maintain a presence here.

“My undergraduate degree is from the College of Charleston. My master’s degree, from the Medical University of South Carolina, is in Biometry, which is an interdisciplinary mix of biostatistics and biomedical computer applications.

“My first job out of graduate school was teaching at Trident Tech. I worked on military computer systems for a number of years and then I was the technical lead on the implementation of the Medical University clinical database system, which allows doctors to see their patient’s complete medical history online.

“After my father passed away, my mother gave me his old camera and some lenses, and I started shooting a lot of film. I tried to learn more about photography, the technical aspects, how to accomplish what I wanted with an image rather than leaving it up to chance. I approached it systematically through f-stops, aperture settings, shutter speed, and ISO. I read as much as I can and study the work of other photographers. The more I know, the more I enjoy it.

“My father-in-law shoots large format, 4 x 5, and 35mm. He’s been doing this since he was a teenager and he’s in his eighties now. He’s an inspiration to me; an example of a lifetime’s passion and pursuit.

“I recently was juried into the Smithtown Township Arts Council photography exhibition in New York. What caught my attention was that the juror was Joyce Tenneson, a very well known photographer whose work I admire. The show’s theme is ‘The Intimate Portrait,’ something Joyce is well known for.

“Peggy got a call when I was at work one day, saying that I’d been juried into the show. I had Karen’s Corner do the framing up to gallery standards. It will be on exhibit in the Mills Pond House Gallery in St. James, N.Y. for the entire month of April. Peggy and I are flying up for the opening reception. I’m looking forward to meeting the other photographers and seeing their work first hand.” —as told to Jason A. Zwiker

To see Larry’s photography visit home.earthlink.net/~lbgale

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