Philip Randolph Parker features photography by John McQuiston. Google his name and you'll find a guy whose professional background is television news reporting.

This is the same guy. And you may reasonably ask what would interest a TV reporter in photography.

The pursuits are more similar than they may first appear. Any good reporter's best asset is the ability to notice things, including the essence of his story subjects. That same skill is vital to photographers.

Top-flight equipment — and the ability to use it — certainly help and John shoots with Sony Alpha DSLR cameras equipped with Minolta f/1.8 50mm, Carl Zeiss f/3.5 16-80mm and Sony f/2.8 70-200mm lenses.

Artful photography goes beyond shutter speed and aperture settings. It goes to a place where it captures moments and reveals character. More than that, it creates photographs that you simply can't wait to see. Again and again.

That's what got John interested in photography. Mesmerized by those single frames, crystal cast indelibly in his mind, he aimed to recreate that magic and share it with anyone who would watch.

His family grew tired of the stalking. Even his cat usually refused to cooperate. So he put an ad on craigslist, offering to photograph people for free and give them digital copies as long as they'd sign a model release allowing him to show the photographs.

Working with "customers" was a great experience for John and they were thrilled with the results. After the third such shoot, the subjects all but told John that he needed to turn pro. How often do people receiving a service for free try to talk its provider into charging for it?

John established a modest fee for hired shoots, detailed on the services page, but he mainly shoots subjects of his own choosing for his own enjoyment, in pursuit of that arresting image that stops your heart as it moves your soul.