and piloting airplanes. He even ran his own charter jet company for a while, but that’s a whole other story.
“Tim is not the kind of person who changes jobs. He changes careers,” his wife said. “He will pursue, until he dies, areas of interest that stimulate him. Whatever comes along that piques his interest, I will be there to encourage because it’s exciting to live with somebody like that.”
About eight years ago, Keane decided to take up photography again. He and his wife have invested at least $13,000 in cameras and accessories; he has taken 12 online photography classes through BetterPhoto.com; he embarked on a photography cruise to Alaska organized by Macworld; and he has participated in studio and outdoor workshops in California and Arizona, respectively.
He’s a Nikon loyalist who had no problem with letting film fall by the wayside.
But in this digital world we live in, he said the “ultimate expression of a photograph” is still hanging it on a wall. And not just traditional glossy prints; his collection includes photos printed on canvas, aluminum, rag paper, and even wood.
Despite the recognition he received from instructors and classmates with BetterPhoto.com, and the fact that friends and relatives clamor for framed prints of his photos, he has opted not to flip his hobby into a business.
“I don’t know how much of a market there is anymore for this kind of stuff,” Keane said.
Instead, it’s a stress outlet that allows him to temporarily forget about work. Ever the self-critic, Keane said he’s “not good enough” to shoot quality photos without focusing his mind completely on the task at hand. He likes that.
“You can play golf, which I do,” Keane said. “The biggest problem with golf is shit gets in your head, especially if you’re playing with friends and there’s sort of chitty chatter, and all of a sudden you’re thinking about work and the ball goes in the woods. I can’t do that with [photography].”
