EMANUEL STRAUSS

I was born in the 50's and grew up on Long Island about 20 miles from Manhattan. I was the "baby" in the family. Being the youngest has certain advantages, not the least of which is having a fully formed support network in place when you arrive on the scene. I have two older brothers and one older sister... Photography was something that I actively avoided for a number of years. Whenever it was offered to me, I would always consciously reject it. I associated photography with mixing chemicals and working with foul smelling solutions. All of this changed when my uncle literally dragged me down to his darkroom when I was around twelve or thirteen and showed me how to make a black & white print. From the moment that I saw my first image appear in the developer tray (like a polaroid) I was hooked!... I spent the better part of my teenage years (to the consternation of my mother) wedded to my own dark room on the sunniest, brightest days of the year instead of being outside in the fresh..