Hello to you all, I'm new to the site and been enjoying the reads, although it has been a bit of a drain on my time, keep up the posts! I'm Larry Lorusso and started my endeavors in photography in 1973. In that time I worked in advertising for over 25 years (before I realized I should do something else with my time) and started Cytafex Studio (Sight affects) in the mid 80's. Shortly after I began learning about photography I bought a used Calumet 4x5, that was a bit of a beast and can remember getting caught between trees because of the triple monorail and I fell down a couple of times. Then in 1976 I bought a new Deardorff 4x5 Special that I still own. Best part was purchasing a 5x7 back for it that Bernice Abbott owned. I bought the back from Ron Rosenstock who I studied with in the mid 70's and the deal was $90 for the back, 100 sheets of Plus X and a dozen film holders, what a deal! Many years later he tried to buy the back and told him he would have to pry it out of my cold dead fingers!

After many years of working producing images for advertising and realizing it was time for major changes in my life and in 2002 I went from the house, wife and the dog, to just the dog (Hayduke) and started living as a gypsy living as if a leaf to the wind. The changes were prompted by a river trip in the Grand Canyon in 1996. I had started whitewater rafting in the late 80's and while in the Canyon I asked what was I going to do with the rest of my days on the planet. I can tell you life is large in the Canyon, and the answer was it was time to use my heart instead of wallet as to photography. I can say since that time my wallet has been much thinner, but my heart is full and I romped around a bit in the mountains west of Boulder but mostly southeast Utah. Great times hanging with the Utes on a reservation near Blanding Utah and surrounding Canyons. You can bury my Heart in White Mesa in sight of Bears Ears! My Canyon years had me mostly shooting with various Hasselblad's that enabled me to go off for days/weeks at a time backpacking and had some amazing adventures!

I came back East after my Mom died and took up raft guiding full time on the Deerfield River in western Massachusetts when I was 50 and I really enjoyed it but eventually managers who were just kids tried to treat me as a child and it was more trouble than it was worth and stuck to taking friends and family down and not have the bull and just fun and time spent on the river in beautiful places. After the season was over went back to the "Rez" and romped around the Canyons till I met a lady from western Mass who now has my Heart and we live together on a spread with 90 acres surrounded by woods and beauty.

These days much of my work is made with a Nikon, currently a D810 and enjoying working with high ISO's at night. Couple years ago I was diagnosed with lymphoma and was cancer free for 2 years. Second chances are hard to come by and have tried to live life well and actually took a break from chemo to lead a small river trip in the Grand Canyon in 2015, and that was the best part of the treatment!. Recently diagnosed with cancer again and in planning stages of treatment and so far I feel well and will leave you with this, every day is a gift and get it while you can! Sorry I've gone on and on, I couldn't help myself!

Greetings, Larry!:>
I enjoyed reading your 'Bio-Snippet'~along with, personally relating to much of what you had to say about yourself!
Your added photo capture, clearly illustrates the level and depth of your photographic experiences...!> A most remarkable image~in so many ways!
My prayers(sincerely) go out to you, on your second 'go-round' with your cancer. It's been three years, with my battle with esophageal cancer, and
'they' say they got it all- BUT I continue to have 'major' complications from the operation. And, if that's not enough 'on-my-plate'~ I have been diagnosed with advance CAD (which has really put a physical damper) on my photographic activities. Yes, indeed... I'm also of the mindset of:{"every day is a gift and get it while you can"} along with giving 'Thanks'~ to my Lord, for his mercy-grace and Love!:> God 'bless' you, my friend!:>'CyberDave'