From my years as a newspaper reporter working alongside award-winning photojournalists, I learned about capturing the moment. From my days as a traveling studio photographer doing family portrait work, I learned about composition, studio lighting and how to quickly engage a large group of people. From my experiences in life, I learned about the value of human connection. I believe the best photo is one that not only satisfies an intellectual curiosity, but provokes human emotion. My mission as a photographer is to connect the artistry to the subject, to foster a warm, relaxed relationship between the person I'm photographing and the camera, to create beautiful photos that authentically reflect the moment and the event. I have been shooting photos since I was 7, with greatest intensity during the last decade. Taking photos is how I make sense of the world. It brings me into presence.

Please call me, e-mail me, look for me on Facebook, Instagram and on my blog: https://debralynnhook.blogspot.com/
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A graduate of Louisiana State University's School of Journalism, Debra-Lynn is also a print journalist and syndicated family-life columnist for Chicago's Tribune News Service who has written and reported for newspapers, magazines, Web sites and research organizations. Her passion for excellence in communication has taken her to the university setting, where she taught journalism, and to the bedside of the dying, where she interviewed and photographed hospice patients as a lasting gift for their families. Her attention to detail, to complete reporting and to the authenticity of her work has been recognized by a number of organizations, including the Institute of Southern Studies. Debra-Lynn is a native of South Carolina and a former resident of New Orleans, Boone, N.C. and Fresno, Calif. She lives now in Kent, Ohio, with her husband, political scientist Dr. Steven W. Hook, and a fluctuating collection of their three children. In addition to writing, taking pictures and managing her family, Debra-Lynn spends her time performing African drumming and gardening. She also travels as often as possible.