I have been taking photos for many years. I did it just as a hobby. I was often told I had a talent for seeing things in a unique way. Helping the viewer to see through my eyes with my photos. I shared my interest in photography with my children. I thought I was too busy to pursue a photography career at least as anything more than a hobby. Recently while helping people at the beach take photos of themselves, I was told by a person on the pier that I had a wonderful talent for taking photos and making people laugh and enjoy the experience. I submitted a photo to a professional site that had 5 judges. The highest you could get was 5 stars. I prepared myself for the hard critiques. Instead, all the judges gave me 5 stars each on the photo. So in an effort to share my photography and talents, Phoenix Rising Art was born. The reason for the name comes from a friend who said over the past two years, with all that I had faced, death of parents, divorce, and health issue and more, that I was never defeated and was like a Phoenix rising out of the ashes. So here is to my second half of life starting something new that I have always enjoyed. Photography and making people feel good about themselves.