First and foremost, I am a Christian. I love that God loves me. I am 70+ and a good dad and grandpa. This is a huge passion of my life. I am fortunate to have the best wife a man can have for over 40 years now, two great kids who are overachievers with good work ethics. They got their hard work gene from their momma, haha. I have an alien-smart daughter who is married to a great guy (that I totally love), and I have a son who graduated from college in Nebraska. He is an athlete, a college baseball catcher who hit for power. That said, he and his awesome wife (Jessie) managed to produce my favorite gift, a rambunctious and smart little girl. Omgosh, God IS good.

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One of my best friends from my youth told me I have a comic-book mind. At the time, I wasn't too excited about my friend tagging me with what I perceived as a negative label. It seemed shallow somehow. Over the years, I came to see the insightfulness of the observation. The truth is that I really do process thoughts in pictures. Someone can ask a question, and I envision the answer as a descriptive image, kinda like a storyboard.

Oops, as I sit here adding the finishing touches to the "About the author" section of this site, I am laughing at myself because I have fallen into the trap of not starting talking about a routine transition FROM something TO something else. In fact, I finished the entire "About" section before I even realized I was supposed to be sharing about my writing. Telling stories and being thoughtful in such a different way is both satisfying and uncomfortable. The one saving grace is that, going from photographer to writer, the storytelling seems easier than, let's say, being a coal miner and becoming a gourmet chef.

My Writing

This may be the shortest part of the "About Tony Berru" section, haha. It is the least official part of my skill set, but it is the one that's the most exciting and hopeful for me to chase after. I have been waiting for the right timing, and the pandemic provided the impetus.

My Photography

In 2002, my son started playing high school baseball and football. Each season brought either a better camera system or new lenses, and my old passion began to reemerge. As he played more and advanced further, I ended up with many more opportunities to hang out with and shoot amazing athletes.

My son's developing baseball skills led to a college scholarship out of state, and I ended up driving across the country many times a year. There wasn't a single road trip that didn't also come with images of great faces or cool landscapes, and ultimately some pretty fun stories.

​​Since those early days of sports shooting, I have found that my photojournalistic style also works well in street event coverage. I have always believed that people were far more attractive and expressive when photographed candidly.

Candid Moments are Golden

While landscapes and staged images can be really awesome, the significance of a great moment is worth its weight in gold. That is what I look for when I grab my camera bag and head out for the day.