Shutter Mike Photography

Why evolution?  This photograph was taken in June 2005 in Tucson, AZ.  Seems like forever ago.  It was at the beginning of my foray into the digital world and I was using a Canon PowerShot G5, one step up from a point-and-shoot.  Digital opened the world of photography up to me.  I had no idea at that time that this photograph would lead me to where I am today.  That is where the evolution comes in.  Photography evolved from a hobby to a passion to a dream to an opportunity and finally to a business.  I now need to make sure I do not lose the passion along the way to making photography a successful business for myself.  The point that it becomes a “job” needs to be avoided at all costs.  So regardless of their commercial value, I need to push myself to keep taking photos for myself.  It can only feed the passion and benefit the business.

I grew up in Tucson and lived there for 25 years.  But I had never run across Ralph’s Service Station before a few weekends ago.  Although it appears to be kept up pretty well, there are no signs that it services much of anything anymore.  But a little Googling revealed its story.  Ralph’s was built in 1929 from a pre-fabricated kit purchased from the Sears & Roebuck catalog.  It sits at the intersection of what were at the time two unpaved roads, 4th Ave. and 19th St, in Armory Park.  But it was only in business for about 8 years before the economic hard times of the Great Depression took their toll and put Ralph’s out of business.  Although it there does not appear to be any active business occupying the site, to this day someone is still taking good care of Ralph’s.  In a historic neighborhood like Armory Park this little building should make a great home to a neighborhood-centric small business.  Maybe after these current economic hard times pass.