Welcome to Weekend Photo!  A resource for the weekend photographer.

Glad you are here to experience with me the fun, adventure, and creative challenge of capturing unique, inspiring, and lasting images.

At Weekend Photo will share with you candid product reviews, discussion of best practices, news, and opinions surrounding the tools, techniques, and trends of film and digital photography.  Additionally, you may view in the gallery the results of my own weekend and holiday photo excursions.

Your questions, opinions, suggestions, or comments are welcome and encouraged.  Please send them by email to bobradcliff@weekendphoto.com or complete the feedback form.

Thanks for visiting.  And look forward to seeing you again soon.

Enjoy !

About My Photography

Interest in photography developed while attending high school after Billy Davis (a photojournalist and Director of Photography for the Courier-Journal & Louisville Times newspaper) took an interest in me.  This pioneer in aerial photography took me on aerial photo shoots, let me accompany him to the newspaper photo lab and studios, and provided inspiration and guidance.  Shortly thereafter my parents generously helped me create an elaborate, complete home darkroom.  I was off and running.

A year later secured a job as a lab and field assistant with Bernard (Bernie) Birndorf, a Grand Rapids, Michigan based professional commercial photographer whose early career included a stint as a photojournalist for the Grand Rapids Press.  It was great fun and offered tremendous experience for a young guy still in high school.  This job lasted until heading off to college and provided the only money I've ever earned from photography.

Since those high school days have maintained a deep interest in photography even though pursued an unrelated education and career path.  In addition to studying technique from the books of published professionals and assorted trade mags have been a member of a camera club, completed college level course work, and been a student in several courses offered by professionals in the community.  Am pleased to see both my son and daughter have developed their own interest in photography.

Am inspired by the work of past masters of the art such as Ansel Adams , Edward Weston, Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, Minor White, and the late Galen Rowell as well as current practitioners John Shaw, Frans Lanting, and Art Wolfe.

Today am still actively in pursuit of artistic excellence and additional technical knowledge as the art and its tools continue to evolve.

Using gear acquired with funds from the day job you may find me out in the field shooting photos this weekend.

About Me

Am an amateur photographer with a day job.  During the work week am engaged in the functional design and implementation of financial systems as a consultant for a large software company.  And while the day job provides plenty of challenges and opportunities including travel to interesting locations, photography is my passion on the weekend.

Am married with five children and comfortably settled in Kalamazoo, Michigan (USA) near family and friends.  Besides having a fun name Kalamazoo is a thriving community which hosts two colleges (including my alma mater, Western Michigan University), abundant cultural opportunities, several high-end health care firms, and the perfect size airport.  It is ideally situated 30 minutes from the sandy shores of Lake Michigan and a two hour drive east to metro Detroit or west to the Chicago loop.

Aside from photography my interests include music (favorite genres being jazz, rock, classical, & pop), the news (am a certified news junkie), politics (as a parlour game), and financial investing.  Of course mastering the creative and technical aspects of building and maintaining this web site is not far behind.