About
I was born in Bryan, Texas to my mother Roberta Ann Pugh and my father James Richard Pugh on August 14th, 1984. My father died regrettably when I was just three years old. My mother raised both my younger brother Jameson and I with the help of both families. I was stubborn as a child and I refused to learn to read until the third grade where by chance I happened upon a fantastic teacher who made reading fun. By the time I reached the eighth grade my reading skills surpassed most high school juniors. Some said I spoke far too much as a child and when I stopped speaking people said I spoke barely enough. This led to the development of a speech impediment I struggle with to this day. At the age of thirteen, I achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Computers became a integral part of my life. My programming work for a complementary iTunes application saw my name published in a German book and magazines in the United States, France and Japan. By the age of fourteen I created my first three-dimensional digital art, motion graphics and was designing websites. After high school I attended Texas A&M University and was to major in philosophy. Oh, how I loved philosophy and how it stretched my mind beyond my sheltered upbringing. It was at A&M that I found myself socially – much to the detriment of my degree’s completion. Ultimately, college and I were not well suited for each other at that time in my life. I dropped out.
I found myself aimless – so my Aunt Mary convinced me to join the U.S. Army where I learned the trade of a photographer and videographer. I never spent any time in the military actually doing the job I was trained for; instead, I spent five years as a broadcast journalist and anchor on television and radio for the American Forces Network Korea. The six years I spent in the military turned out to be of great benefit to me. Educationally, professionally, personally – I grew. I delivered, wrote, filmed and edited award-winning television and radio news reports broadcasted on four continents to an audience of millions. I interviewed celebrities and high-ranking military personnel from across the globe. Some of the footage I shot even appeared on the BBC in Britain and 株式会社フジテレビジョン (Fuji TV) in Japan. I found myself on a reality TV show in Australia for injuries sustained while on Bondi Beach in Sydney. Perhaps, most importantly, my time in the Army gave me the opportunity to discover what I truly wanted to do with my life. The photography training I initially received from the Army served as the ignition for a new passion brought to fruition with the help of a few like-minded friends. I developed my skills in Korea and I saw my photographic work exhibited in Barcelona and included in an online travel guide. I even published my very own, honest-to-goodness, book covering my adventures and tribulations in India.
At present, I am in a state of transit while I take some time to travel the western hemisphere of this wondrous blue marble we call Earth. In the autumn, I plan to attend college in Honolulu to finish my degree, however, this time in photojournalism. There are times when I feel I’ve accomplished a lot in my life, and then there are times when I feel I should have done so much more. This makes me all the more curious about what the future may hold. Thanks for reading.
photo credit: Tanya Louise Kelly
