I love how the shiny hulls of the boats in the foreground blend into the water in the background.

Not so long ago, moving away from the area where you grew up meant losing contact with most of your friends. And enemies,too, but that’s not the point here.

Now thanks to Facebook, I’ve been able to reconnect with many of  my childhood and “teenhood” friends. Even if you weren’t very popular, as was the case for me, there are still a lot of people who are instantly no longer a part of your life. These folks include friends and acquaintances from school, church, scouting groups, sports teams, piano lessons, summer camps, the gym and first jobs, to name just a few. All of a sudden, Poof! They’re gone, and it’s on to the next phase of your life.

Look at that beautiful sky beyond the tops of the birch trees.

My father was somewhat well-connected in our little town and he managed to keep in touch with many folks I thought I’d never see again. For my 30th birthday, he and my mother invited to dinner my beloved second grade teacher, a woman I hadn’t seen since we took her to the circus with us back in 19-blabbity blah. Even though I hadn’t seen her in more than 20 years, I recognized her as she stood in our entryway, surely expecting me to be stumped as to who she was. I wasn’t. It was an incredible moment, one I’ll never forget.

Inside an old rail car.

Facebook, however, has allowed me to have a much closer friendship with many of these people I never thought I’d see again. I now know how they turned out,  how many kids they have, the careers they chose, and where they go on vacation. The ability to see photographs of the people and events in their lives makes these revelations more vivid.

Look at the incredible balance of the horse and rider.

One of the people I’ve reconnected with is Steve Shambeck. Our parents were friends, and my sister and I knew Steve and his sister through various activities at church. Although I always stayed busy perfecting my wallflower status, I guess I wasn’t as invisible as I thought I was. Just a couple of years ago, through Facebook, I discovered he remembered me and we became Facebook friends.

Adorable boy smiling as he prepares to race.

While we were busy leading separate lives, Steve grew up to become an extraordinary photographer. This is a subject near and dear to my heart, since my father was a photographer with the Orange County Register for 35 years. I know much more about photography and the art of taking good photographs than the average bear, and when I viewed Steve’s portfolio, it nearly knocked me off my feet.

A perfect shot of The Wedge crashing down on the shore of Newport Beach, California.

His action photos are incredible. Whether his subjects are riding horses, surfing at The Wedge, or playing team sports, he has the ability to capture that split second in time that shows anger, determination, jubilation, defiance and fear on their faces and in their movements.

Look at the expressions on the faces of these rugby players.

I love the expression on the face of the boy wearing red. Look at how his hair is flying in every direction.

He has some of the best surfing photos I have ever seen.

What out for the pier!

He also has an eye for finding a shot wherever he may be: traveling from his home in Southern California to Nevada, exploring Mammoth and Yosemite, or just driving down country roads in rural areas. My husband loves trains, so

These coupled train cars look huge.

I am instantly drawn to train photos. The photos that Steve posted on his Facebook account hit me like those sports photos, triggering me to let out a small gasp as I took in his perspective and detail in each photo.

Luggage stacked up and ready to load on the 1299 car.

The colors on the rail cars are beautiful.

Steve has graciously allowed me to share some of his photos with you here on my blog.

Inside a mill at the mine in Berlin, Nevada

I love the water in motion.

Steve found this old truck hidden beneath brambly trees in Benton Hot Springs.

Rusty old car in Berlin, Nevada

If you are interested in seeing more of his work or finding out about limited edition prints, visit his website at PLS Photography. You can also like his Fan Page on Facebook here. If you live in Southern California and need a photographer for a special occasion, I’m sure he’d love to hear from you.  Give him a call at 714.390.7134 or email him at steve@plsphotography.com.

These photographs are the property of and copyrighted by PLS Photography. They are used with permission in this post.