Florida

The Naval School of Photography produces surprisingly few notable photographs. The assignments are demanding but highly formulaic. There is enormous emphasis on technical scientific excellence but creativity is often less important. Most students are unmarried, so as newly weds Diane and I become something of a pet couple. We live off base and rent in a trailer park surrounded by swamp. Our trailer in the country becomes a weekend destination and flop house lonely sailors. The students are away from home and girlfriends. The hotshot students in the pilot's program have first pick of all the local girls, so enlisted men in photography school go hungry. Photography students have assignments to shoot and Diane and I become star models. I include this section more as informational punctuation and documentation.