Earl was allowed to watch Kennedy Space Center launches from across the Indian River – “the best seat in the house,” he said. Earl also got to hang out with photographers from National Geographic. “I understood what it takes to take a picture, the patience and setting up the camera and getting the light correct and all those steps. I learned that from those professionals.” Now Earl trains his camera on the natural world, specifically, what’s happening in his own backyard. His wife Irene says that when she sees Earl’s photographs, she often asks him to show her what he photographed, and is surprised to find that it’s something she passed by regularly. Earl often photographs at night, when he can control the lighting for delicate subjects such as flower buds, which get washed out in harsh daylight.