When Steve Garon was 11, his dad read a classified ad and bought him a darkroom for $50. Seriously.

Surely the elder Garon would consider that investment well paid off, given that photography's become a lifelong hobby for his son, now a pediatric anesthesiologist based on the Big Island.

“;I got away from photography for a while, but when I settled in Hawaii 20 years ago, I got back into it,”; he says. “;It's alway been an interest.”;

And Garon's photography itself is always interesting as well. Not only is the good doc a pro behind the lens, his images document his frequent visits to all parts of the globe.

Garon has plenty of opportunity to travel in his work with Medical Mission, a project that takes doctors to sites where “;we are capable of helping people in a way we cannot in America. You can change a child's life. In some of the places we go to, there's no such thing as insurance. If you're too poor to pay for medical care, you don't get help.”;

Garon calls the missions a “;win-win-win-win situation all the way around.”;

“;Sometimes I get a chance to teach, and that carries my abilities even further,”; Garon said. “;For myself, I get to meet people from all over the world, and it allows me to travel and take pictures. It's extremely rewarding.”;

Garon bought his first large-format camera in the early '90s and has been hooked on that type of photography ever since. He compares the format to fishing.

“;The process is slow and contemplative,”; he says. “;You can wait for the right lighting and get the composition just right, and by the time you're set up, you've lost the moment. Sometimes, you lose the shots just like you lose the fish on the line. I enjoy the whole process, from beginning to end.”;