Photography is the science and art of making permanent images. The science is the learning of the technical aspects, the inverse relationship of f-stop to shutter speed for exposure, brightness and contrast for the use of light and focus and depth of field for sharpness. The art separates the “snap-shot” from the photograph. Art, some say is a gift, “some have it and some don’t”, referred to as “having an eye”. I think it can be perfected with practice. My uncle taught me the technical facets in the fifties, when color photography was new. I developed “an eye” for composition and background through fifty years of practice. I studied photography in high school, but couldn’t afford my own camera. In 1965, while in Viet Nam, I bought my first camera and haven’t stopped shooting since. I have been a crime scene photographer for the Wenham Police Department for thirty-five years and did several years part-time as a wedding photographer (never again… ). I have found over the years that I am happiest when the photos are for me, my hobby; I don’t want to make my hobby; work. It’s relaxing and rewarding and I don’t need pressure and deadlines.

A dramatic change occurred in my photography about five years ago when I transitioned from film to digital photography. With film there is a cost for every shot taken; with digital, after the initial investment for equipment, you can shoot for free. I now can take pictures anywhere… anytime and do. I have started traveling for the purpose of finding new and interesting things to photograph. In leisure time, I literally view my world through the viewfinder and relive my experiences over and over again with a continually running slideshow of over ten thousand of “my favorite” photographs as a screensaver. With photography as my hobby, I am never bored and always have something of interest for me to do. I have promised my wife, who is very tolerant of my quest for the “perfect photo”, that if I ever take it, I will throw my camera away. I have some that I like better than others, but the “perfect photo?” I don’t think it’s possible.

William F. MacKenzie
Chief of Police (Retired June 30, 2005)
Wenham, Massachusetts
contact e-mail address: mackenzie.william@gmail.com