–Photo Credit– Son Young Chang–

I have always hated the question - Where are you from? It presented such a dilemma for me. How much or how little did this person want to know? The whole story is too long for the expected basic one-word answers like Munich or New Jersey or Chicago or New Mexico or Las Cruces or Arvin or Santa Cruz or Davis or San Francisco.

Born in Munich but my halting childish German is an embarrassment to my relatives there. The younger ones understand because they consider me an American and are proud that their excellent English is better than my German. The older ones would resent me calling myself German because they were born and raised in Marienbad and didn't really consider themselves German - but that is another long story.  See what I mean - it's complicated. If your curios see the history of Bohemia or better yet Egerland just Google the names.

My childhood was spent in New Mexico in Las Cruces and Carlsbad and High School years in Arvin in the vast San Joaquin Valley of California. With one glorious 5th grade year in Chicago, that really woke me up to life’s possibilities. After graduating from UC via UCSC & UCD, I lived and worked in San Francisco for more than 40 years and consider that the hometown of my heart.
However, when you spend your early childhood in New Mexico it imprints on your soul. It is not just the ancient rich culture and history and endless sky – but the light itself. It was in New Mexico that my father taught me to take and develop photos with a Brownie Hawkeye and the darkroom equipment at the high school where he taught Math and at times photography.

Through college and my early adult years I used a Pentax K1000 to feed my compulsion to take more pictures and with apologies to Ansel - simultaneously fell in love with color and lost control of the darkroom. I worked in wood – carving block prints, painted a little and studied Chinese brush painting.

I spent the computer revolution at Xerox supporting San Francisco and "silicon valley". First as a field technician and later a network system support engineer for the western region. We learned digital imaging, color laser printing, and network communication literally as it was being invented. Today we have fine digital cameras, powerful software and the simplicity of ink-jet printing (giclée - if you must). At home – no more darkroom – no more toxic chemicals – we have control of our images once again. Life is good!

Since I retired I am doing more photography. I take pictures of things that move me. I don't have many rules. “A true photograph need not be explained, nor can it be contained in words.”– Ansel Adams
I hope you enjoy them - they are meant to bring joy and peace to your heart as they do mine. Thanks so much for your interest.  
A new development – After 48 years we recently moved from San Francisco to Petaluma, CA this is bound to affect my work. So stay tuned! ;-)

Always ;-) Sonja