John payne biography photography freedom

John Payne, photographer from Fort Lauderdale, Florida

– 1) When did you start as a photographer and what sparked that?

My earliest relocation of taking photos was in the sixth grade (age 12), and they were travel photos while on a school trip to Yucatan, Mexico.

I loved being able to share my experiences with friends and family when we returned. I was using a Kodak Instamatic.

John payne biography photography freedom

The camera probably saved my life. Three friends and I were exploring a building in Uxmal. We were inching our way down a pitch-black corridor, firing off a photo every few feet so that we could see what lay ahead in the light of the flash cube.

On one flash, there was a ten foot gap in the corridor floor about three feet ahead of us. The hole was ten feet deep. We would have tumbled in if not for the flash cube.

– 2) When did you first take photos of sailing boats and Snipes?

While I took some photos of Solings in high school and college, my real immersion in sailing photography corre