I have been a photographer for over 50 years. My work has run the gamut from fashion and beauty to tabletop and environmental portraiture. I am a teacher, writer, designer, and motorcycle adventurer.

Photography is so much more than just taking photos for me. It is the fabric of my life. From photography, I learned design. From design, I learned advertising. OCEAN Integrated Media Group (1993) was my agency and we were the third-largest ad agency in Arizona in 2000. As creative director, I would shoot and hire photographers to do assignments for us.

Having the perspective of both sides of the desk - photographer asking for work, Creative Director looking to hire - gives me a very unique perspective. I bring that perspective to my online class at www.project52prosystem.com, and in my personal mentoring.

We closed OCEAN down in the early 2000s, and I have been designing, making photographs, and writing ever since. Having a big agency is heady, intense, and incredibly stressful. Although it was a blast, it was taking a toll so I walked away and went back to just being me... with no employees. Ya know.

I have written 7 books, several are available on Amazon, and this year I will publish my 8th book. Based on my long motorcycle adventures in the west and southwest, it will also feature images taken from the saddle of my bike.

I am sorry, but I really have no interest in Instagram anymore. It is boring to me. Twitter sucks, so my social media presence is basically my website, a few Facebook groups, YouTube, a weekly newsletter, and here at Medium.

I always welcome questions and comments - whether here or at my email: don.giannatti@gmail.com Got a question, lay it on me.

Have a tremendous day, and make photographs... or any art you want. It's what we do, ya know.