About Me?

I am a photographer, who happens to have a full-time job that gets in the way of me enjoying my photographyĀ addictionĀ hobby more. Iā€™m also anĀ Information SecurityĀ & Technology professional,Ā coffeeĀ addict,Ā curmudgeon, craft beer andĀ whiskeyĀ connoisseur and anĀ extremelyĀ sarcastic wise-ass (not necessarily in that order).

While I may beĀ fluent in ā€œtypoā€, IĀ do not speak stupid. Add to this, I am also a 25+ year cancer survivor, which I was initially diagnosed with as a teenager. This has given me a different perspective onĀ life, the universe and everything, as well asĀ a serious case ofĀ gallows humor. If you cannot handle these contradictions, I bet you are one of those people who like to ā€œthink outside the boxā€, missing the point thatĀ the box itself is your limitation.

Nothing and I meanĀ ABSOLUTELY NOTHINGĀ that I photograph, post,Ā opine on, make fun of, like, dislike or mention directly, indirectly, or discuss (get my point?) are to be misconstrued as the opinions of my employer, family, dogs, or even the voices in my head. Hell,Ā an hour laterĀ theyĀ may not be my opinions any longer.Ā People tend to take lifeĀ wayĀ too seriously Ā ā€“Ā lighten up!

If you cannot handle views that bother you, maybe the Internet isnā€™t the place for youā€¦ perhaps I could suggest a jacket with wrap around sleeves, this way you will always have a hug that you undoubtedly require. (Do you now grok why I say that I am a wise ass šŸ˜‡).

Site Policies

Copyright Notice (a.k.a Don't Steal my Stuff)

All photos posted, unless otherwise attributed, areĀ Ā© John P. Hoke 2000-2024.

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of material, text, images or other media posted on this blog, without express and written permission from this blogā€™s author and/or owner (i.e.:Ā me)Ā is strictlyĀ prohibited, rude, andĀ uncool. Excerpts and links to content may be used, with the exception downloading and reposting of images, provided that full and clear credit is given to John P. HokeĀ and linked to the original photo page on this blogĀ with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. No rights are granted for other reuse, repurposing, modifications, etc.

If you are interested in using any of the images found on this site, pleaseĀ contact meĀ to discuss. While I may be an amateur photographer, and amĀ not looking to make money of my hobbyĀ (although I wonā€™tĀ turn it down either), I do want to retain control on where my images are used, how they are represented, by whom and under what circumstances. Iā€™ve been known to license images for no cost, itā€™s less about making a profit and more about making sure I retain creative and distribution control of my work. You can alsoĀ purchase some printsĀ online.

Comments (a.k.a The Echo Chamber of Hell)

While I want, expect and respect criticisms and a lively debate, I do not want flamewars to errupt. I reserve the right to delete or edit any post that is, in my eyes, uncivil ā€“ we can disagree, argue, debate, but we should always be able to have a beer or two afterwards! If you want to have a pissing contest, I am sure there are other places on the interwebs you can find where it is acceptable this is not that place. I think the majority of the worldā€™s problems could resolve themselves if people would just accept they donā€™t know everything, and to stop being idiots towards each other ā€¦ but what the hell do I know šŸ¤·šŸ¼ā€ā™‚ļø.

If you can’t be civil then maybe you should refrain from participating in civil society.Ā 

Privacy Policy (Yes, Big Brother is Always Watching)

image of people wearing tinfoil hats to prevent the government from reading their little minds

Oh no! Itā€™s the dreaded ā€œprivacy policyā€. Iā€™ll keep it simple, this website uses cookies from this domain and third parties to provide session state, and user experience enhancement ā€“ but I do not do anything nefarious with the data ā€“ Iā€™m a simple photographer & blogger.

As for personal data, email is used for login if you choose to create an account, and if you wish notifications, but again, Iā€™m just a blogger who isnā€™t using this info for anything other than to provide this site. I am running analytics from Google but that is life on the big interwebs ā€“ this is so I can better understand who is visiting, what they liked, etc.

My online shop is hosted by SmugMug and they have their own Privacy Policy that you should read if you need help sleeping or intellectually masochistic, and want to understand what, if anything, they do when you purchase something from me.

A bunch of plugins help me to manage security and authentication, and other bits that may have their own use/privacy policies. I cannot say that they wonā€™t do bad things such as log you into my website and set cookies ā€¦ this is the interwebs ā€“ if you donā€™t want to share information about you or your session/computer/favorite colors/that you like long walks on the beach/personal insanities/etc., use tools that prevent it from happening. Yeah, it is all about that whole personal responsibility thing ā€“ people should really try it more often.

If you have no idea what I am talking about ā€“ just relax, take a deep breath and surf away ā€“ I really am not watching you right now through your deviceā€™s built in camera ā€¦ (although you may want to fear your microwave hahahahaha),

Simpler privacy statement ā€“ You are on the Internet, and should have NO expectation of privacy without taking appropriate measures to ensure such. That is it in a nutshell ā€¦ if you are uncomfortable with all this crap, use appropriate cookie blocking tools, ad blockers, or whatever else makes you happy.

If you really have issues with these functions, cookies and etc., perhaps the Interwebs are not for you, or you need to adjust your tinfoil hat.

What inspires me?

Coffee, quadruple shot lattes from my DeLonghi Espresso machine, yes please! Ok, that and anything that catches my eye. When that fails, Iā€™ve been known to enjoy a Balvenie single malt, Teeling Irish Whiskey or two ā€¦ (or threeā€¦ yes please!).Ā 

When I got seriously back into photography I was inspired to push my photography by Matt Kloskowsky (or simply MattK), Hudson Henry, Trey Ratcliff and others who have pushed the way I see and think about photography from different angles, and I hope that it is starting to ā€˜sink inā€™. My brain works ā€˜oddlyā€™ and photography to me is both a scienceand an art.. I need to understand the ā€˜howā€™ of something so I can get to the ā€˜whyā€™.

Recently, Iā€™ve started to ā€œget back to basicsā€ and somewhat move away from the HDR photography I had been doing for years. Iā€™ve relearned the love of black and white photography ā€“ a format that really pushes the photographer to be better and more technical as it is a more difficult medium to pull off well.

Where's Waldo ... er ... John?

Originally from New York City, but now living in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in its South Side Artā€™s District and loving it. This may be a small town, especially compared to growing up in NYC, but itā€™s in a great area! I am close enough to Philadelphia and NYC so I can have the best of both worldsā€¦ Plus I love shooting the old industrial buildings and steel plants ā€“ there is something extraordinary in the dichotomy of Rust and Nature that sets my soul on fire.

When not traveling for work, I am generally here in Bethlehem or in NYC visiting museums or simply enjoying life with my better half – who is a much better photographer than I am — an added bonus.

Bethlehem, PA

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