Patrick Lennox

Growing up in New Orleans I thought Mardi Gras, the French Quarter, great food, and a party just about every week was normal. All of my family had lived in the city for generations. It wasn't until I left for college in the mid 60's when I realized that this might not be the case. A dry county outside of Dallas, Texas was about as far culturally as you could get from the land of gumbo, po-boys, and beignets. Hell, our little league baseball team was sponsored by the Jax Brewery. Regardless, I met many lifelong friends at the University of Dallas and we still managed to get our hands on plenty of alcohol.

Going away to college and becoming a history major did instill a thirst to see the world. However, the history degree did not necessarily bode well for my immediate employment prospects. But the United States Army took care of that problem. Drafted in 1970, I got lucky and was sent to Germany instead of Vietnam. That is where I was introduced to and gained a love for photography.

The Youthful, Convinced I Could Make it in New York, Me — **The Youthful, Convinced I Could Make it in New York, Me**

Arriving back in New Orleans in '72, a friend and I set up a photography business working odd jobs and conventions. We soon realized we didn't really know what we were doing, so we both decided to go back to school. After graduating from Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, CA, full of youthful ambition and a lack of humility, I impulsively decided to try my luck in New York City. Gaining a measure of humility fairly quickly, I found work as a free-lance photographic assistant and eventually as a studio manager. I opened my own New York studio in the late 70's specializing in commercial still-life and fashion advertising photography.

I married my beautiful wife in '81 and we left New York for Atlanta in late '83 to raise a family. I switched to a marketing career in the corporate world for a steady income to better provide for our growing family. I have worked as a marketing executive in Atlanta for the last 30 years. Recently retired, I started Tartuga's Pond to get back to what I have never lost a passion for, photography.

**The Older Retired and Hopefully Wiser Tartuga's Pond Me**