To be Frank: open, honest, candid, and willingness to share what one feels or thinks That’s exactly how I remember him. My uncle Frank was a man of many words even though he was the quietest in the room. He spoke with his mouth closed and eyes wide open. Through his images, he could tell you a whole story without saying a word. Connecting with people was always so important to him and photography did just that. Frank was one of six brothers and sisters. He grew up with my Dad along the Jersey Shore. My dad says that when Frank was growing up he was always looking for some way to express his creativity. Expression through art didn’t just fall into Frank’s lap. He got most of his influence through my Grandpa Bill. Frank loved expanding his mind with paint, clay, and crayons. But when he got his first camera at age 18, he quickly packed up his van and traveled to attend the Brookes Institute of Photography in California. After college, he moved back to the city and his studio was across the street from The Fashion Institute of New York. Over the years, Frank became a photographer for a few magazines in New York City. In my family, there aren't exactly many "creative types." I have a few cousins and relatives that are designers or architects but not many. In the world of photography, Uncle Frank and I were different and not in a negative way. We just connected with the world differently. After teaching me the basics of my first camera, he pushed me to keep taking images and as the years went by I filled the basement with negatives. He shared his old cameras with me and taught me to appreciate the uniqueness of each one. Sadly, he passed away a few years ago. The last camera he had given me was his 4x5 (large format) camera—a Cambo SC, a huge piece of equipment with a lot of moving parts. Yes, a camera where you have to put a black sheet over your head to look through the viewfinder. The biggest lesson he taught me was how important it is to be open. Open to life, open to people, and open to the expression of one’s self without judgment.