Many people don't see the beauty and artistry in old buildings. But I do. To me, architecture is every bit as artistic and creative as painting or drawing. As a historic preservationist, I use photography to observe and document the state of old buildings and to expose their elegance and creativity. Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 3 software makes it possible for me to turn work into art as well as make the most of my personal photography.

My curiosity about photography grew from a job requirement into a passion and favorite hobby. I've experimented with both film and digital cameras, new styles of shooting, and a variety of ways to manipulate light and angles to create incredible images. I've always enjoyed the hands-on aspect of using film cameras, and I believe I've developed a deeper understanding of photography-and improved my skills with digital-as a result.

I take a camera everywhere, never knowing what will catch my eye next-a distinctive Art Deco building, a storm cloud hanging over a pasture, a flower in bloom, or an unassuming bridge. Whatever the subject, I'm ready to capture the image at a moment's notice. Right now, I'm really into macro photography for capturing up-close amazing images of nature that usually go unnoticed by the casual observer. Next month, who knows?

After I scan my film negatives or import my raw image files directly into Lightroom, I create individual subfolders with names like "Architecture," "Landscapes," or "Flowers" to help me organize my work. Keyword tagging and Smart Collections are invaluable; a simple keyword like "brick" applied to pictures of brick buildings saves me hours of painstaking searching when I need to find something quickly for work.